Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) led her colleagues in a letter to House Appropriations Committee leadership advocating for the highest amount of funding possible for Fiscal Year 2024 to support programs at the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce emissions and improve sustainability in the energy sector.  The letter urges highest possible funding for the Emissions Mitigation program, to seek new research and technologies limiting emissions from natural gas pipeline and storage infrastructure; the Emissions Quantification program, to improve research to accurately determine the extent and source of emissions; Clean Air Act programs, to support EPA’s ongoing methane mitigation work across the country; and a research and development program authorized by the Energy Act of 2020, to reduce the environmental impact and improve onsite reprocessing of produced water.

“We write to express our strong support for technologies and research to reduce emissions within the energy sector – specifically in natural gas development and its supply chain,” the letter reads.  “As our communities and energy industry grapple with mitigating the effects of climate change, we know that we must use available resources in increasingly sustainable ways that reduce their environmental impact.  This includes research, development, and deployment of these critical technologies across the federal government.  We request the highest possible funding for the relevant accounts to support these crucial programs in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Energy and Water and Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bills.

“This common-sense effort is vital to advancing our energy economy in a sustainable way. Scientists have studied methane and carbon dioxide emissions for decades and continue to update estimates of emission contributions and impacts on climate change,” the letter continues. “Limiting methane emissions requires a multi-departmental and cooperative approach across federal and state governments, and this critical funding facilitates that joint approach.”

The following members of Congress joined Congresswoman Fletcher’s letter: Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01), Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Congresswoman Haley M. Stevens (MI-11), and Congressman Marc A. Veasey (TX-33).

To view the full text of the letter, click here.