House Approves Energy Bill that Boost Vehicle Research Funding
The House approved a $33 billion energy and water bill that includes a boost in spending for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and makes it easier for some vehicles to qualify for low-cost government loans.
By a 320-97 vote, the House OK’d the bill that includes $373 million in advanced vehicle funding, including $40 million for hydrogen transportation systems “to collaborate with industry to improve fuel efficiency with better engines, better batteries and engines that burn clean fuel,” the House said in a summary of the bill.
The total is about 10 percent higher than the $334 million sought by the White House in its budget plan and up from $273 million in the budget year that ends Sept 30.
But the Obama administration radically cut hydrogen research after the Bush Administration spent $1.2 billion on developing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles over five years.
The bill also changes the definition of an ultra-efficient vehicle that would be eligible to include vehicles that get 75 miles per gallon running on diesel or a traditional hybrid-vehicle.
The House bill would order the Energy Department to re-review rejected applications that were filed last year using the new criteria under the $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Program. Last month, the Energy department approved the first $8 billion in loans from that program. Ford Motor Co. got $5.9 billion of that.
The bill also approves another $20 million for administrative expenses to run the $25 billion retooling program.
The Senate must still approve funding for energy projects.
Separately, Rep. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Hills, introduced a new bill to increase Energy Department vehicle research programs.
Peters’ bill would authorize an increase to $550 million for fiscal year 2010, going to $590 million by 2014.
“Now that domestic auto companies have survived intensive restructuring and bankruptcy, it’s time to look to the future,” Peters said. “American auto companies have undergone rapid change to bring down costs, now they need to focus on selling cutting-edge vehicles.”