Analysis of federal water efficiency, water reuse, energy efficiency, and renewable energy funding: 2000 – 2020

(May 2021)

Federal Funding for Water Efficiency & Reuse: Total Funding 595.7 million

AWE utilized the Congress.gov  data base to identify legislation that appropriated funding related to water efficiency, water use efficiency, and water reuse from 2000 to 2020, along with a brief description of the funding.  

  • HR 133 (2020) – A total of $15.5 million was appropriated in this legislation.  15 million was appropriated to a “Smart Energy and Water Efficiency Pilot Program”, which is awarding grants to entities that create innovative or advanced technology that improves energy/water conservation. $0.5 million was appropriated to the Magna Water District Water Reclamation and Reuse Project.
  • S 3021 (2018) – $8 million was appropriated to Drinking Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability programs.  These funds are to go to projects that “increases resilience to natural hazards through the conservation of water or the enhancement of water use efficiency”.
  • S 612 (2016) – $50 million was appropriated for the funding of “water recycling and reuse projects”.  Funding grants can be given to projects that are “likely to increase the water management flexibility and reduce impacts on environmental resources from projects operated by Federal and State Agencies”.
  • HR 146 (2009) – A total of $226 million was appropriated in this legislation. $200 million was appropriated for grants to universities, nonprofits or other organizations to fund research activity “to increase the efficiency of the use of water resources” and $1 million was appropriated to the California Water Institute to analyze “water and conservation and efficient use by distribution systems and end users” in the San Joaquin River and Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region. $25 million was appropriated to a “water reclamation and reuse project” in North San Pablo Bay Watershed.  
  • HR 1 (2009) – $126 million was appropriated for “water reclamation and reuse projects” authorized under title XVI of Public Law 102-575
  • HR 3288 (2009) – $2 million was appropriated to Federal building construction for “Energy and Water Retrofit and Conservation measures”
  • HR 1495 (2007) – A total of $11.25 million was appropriated in this legislation. $6.25 million was appropriated for a water reuse supply and a water transmission pipeline, Miami-Dade County, Florida. $5 million was appropriated to local governments in the Big Creek, GA watershed to “implement water efficiency technologies and programs” as part of the watershed management and restoration program
  • HR 2754 (2003) – A total of $125 million was appropriated in this legislation. $75 million was appropriated to Placer and El Dorado Counties, CA “to improve efficiency and use of existing water supply” in said counties. $25 million was appropriated to Lassen, Plumas, Butte, Sierra, and Nevada Counties, CA “to improve efficiency and use of existing water supply” in said counties. $25 million was appropriated to the Klamath River Basin to fund construction that improves efficiency and use of water supplies in the Upper Klamath River Basin through various programs.  
  • S 1761 (2000) – $2 million was appropriated to the Lower Rio Grande Water Conservation and Improvement Program to fund engineering projects that improve pipelines, use flow control structures, meters and other technology to achieve operational efficiency that conserves water.
  • HR 2605 (2000) – $30 million was appropriated to the CALFED Bay-Delta program to fund projects that improve water use efficiency, among other activities.

Federal Fundiung for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: Total Funding $51.3 billion

AWE utilized the Congress.gov  data base to identify legislation that appropriated funding related to energy efficiency and renewable energy from 2000 to 2020, along with a brief description of the funding.  

  • Roughly every year from 2007 onwards, a large sum of appropriations between $1 billion and $2 billion was allotted to DOE energy programs for energy efficiency and renewable energy (Note: EE and RE funding is tied together in annual Congressional spending bills). Pictured below is an example of the language seen in annual Congressional appropriations bills funding energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. The total appropriations from annual funding was $29 billion.

  • HR 1 (2009), the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, appropriated $21.9 billion to energy efficiency initiatives, which was almost half of the total federal funding. This roughly 20 billion dollars came in rebates, block grants and tax credits to state and local governments to invest in energy efficiency initiatives.  

  • HR 3288 (2009), HR 4818 (2004), and HR 2673 (2003) all provided minor funding to energy efficiency projects, totaling $0.4 billion dollars.