Salinas Bills to Promote Energy-Efficient Technology, Help Farmers Adapt to Climate Change Pass Committee

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06) announced that two of her bipartisan bills with House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (OK-03) passed unanimously in committee, moving them closer to becoming law. Both bills were introduced last week by Rep. Salinas and Chair Lucas. They now await a vote by the full House of Representatives.

“I am so proud to see my bipartisan legislation pass unanimously out of the House Science Committee and move one step closer to becoming law,” said Rep. Salinas. “These bills will strengthen the collaboration between government agencies to build resiliency to climate change and help ensure that Oregon farmers and communities have access to the latest emerging technologies. I thank Chair Lucas for his partnership and look forward to advocating for this legislation as it advances through Congress.”

The NSF and USDA Interagency Research Act would strengthen a longstanding interagency research partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and ensure producers can benefit from the latest agricultural technology and adapt to our changing climate. By merging NSF's research infrastructure and technology development tools with USDA's expertise in agricultural sciences and farmer engagement, the agencies can generate innovative solutions to maintain the vitality and security of our domestic food supply.

The Supercritical Geothermal Research and Development Actwould establish a program at the Department of Energy (DOE) to focus on supercritical geothermal research. It ensures that the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) supports research on supercritical geothermal technologies. It also improves collaboration between DOE and the Department of the Interior to better understand where abundant geothermal resources are located. The bill expands public-private partnerships by establishing a Next-Generation Geothermal Center of Excellence to advance enhanced geothermal energy technologies, including supercritical geothermal.

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