Alternative and renewable resources

HR 4553: Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

This bill provides FY2026 appropriations for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Energy (DOE), and several independent agencies.

The bill provides appropriations for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, including for

  • Investigations,
  • Construction,
  • Mississippi River and Tributaries,
  • Operation and Maintenance,
  • the Regulatory Program,
  • Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies,
  • Expenses,
  • the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and
  • the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program.

The bill provides appropriations to the Department of the Interior for the Central Utah Project and the Bureau of Reclamation.

The bill provides appropriations to DOE for energy programs, including

  • Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy;
  • Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response;
  • Electricity;
  • Grid Deployment;
  • Nuclear Energy;
  • Fossil Energy;
  • Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves;
  • the Strategic Petroleum Reserve;
  • the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve;
  • the Energy Information Administration;
  • Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup;
  • the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund;
  • Science;
  • Nuclear Waste Disposal;
  • the Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy;
  • the Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program;
  • the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program;
  • the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program;
  • Indian Energy Policy and Programs;
  • Departmental Administration; and
  • the Office of the Inspector General.

The bill also provides appropriations to DOE for

  • Atomic Energy Defense Activities of the National Nuclear Security Administration,
  • Environmental and Other Defense Activities, and
  • the Power Marketing Administrations.

The bill provides appropriations to several independent agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The bill also sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.

HR 3944: Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026

Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026

This bill provides FY2026 appropriations to several federal departments and agencies for activities and programs related to military construction, veterans, agriculture, and the legislative branch.

Specifically, the bill includes 3 of the 12 regular FY2026 appropriations bills:

  • the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026;
  • the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026; and
  • the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026.

The departments, agencies, and activities funded in the bill include

  • Department of Defense military construction and family housing activities,
  • the Department of Veterans Affairs,
  • the Department of Agriculture,
  • the Food and Drug Administration,
  • the Senate,
  • various agencies that support Congress, and
  • several related and independent agencies.

(Pursuant to the longstanding practice of each chamber of Congress determining its own requirements, funds for the House of Representatives are not included in the Senate bill.)

The bill also sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.

HR 1592: SOLAR Act

Securing Our Lands and Resources Act or the SOLAR Act

This bill prohibits the Department of Agriculture from providing financial assistance for certain projects that would result in the conversion of covered farmland for solar energy production.

Under the bill, covered farmland generally refers to prime farmland, unique farmland, and farmland that is of statewide or local importance. Conversion means any activity that results in the covered farmland no longer meeting certain requirements for agricultural production, activity, or use.

The bill includes an exception for certain smaller projects that result in the conversion of (1) less than 5 acres of covered farmland, or (2) less than 50 acres of covered farmland if the majority of the energy produced by the project is for on-farm use.

The bill also includes an exception for projects that have the approval or support from the local county and municipality. For these projects, the applicant must (1) develop a farmland conservation plan for the project (e.g., implementing best practices to protect future soil health and productivity), and (2) ensure that sufficient funds are provided for the decommissioning of the solar energy production system and the remediation and restoration of the farmland.

HR 1453: Clean Energy Demonstration Transparency Act of 2025

Clean Energy Demonstration Transparency Act of 2025

This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to submit and publish online semiannual reports on the status of certain clean energy demonstration projects that are managed or supported by DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.

HR 1326: DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act

DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act

This bill requires the Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture to carry out cross-cutting and collaborative research and development activities through the establishment of an interagency agreement.

The agencies are authorized to (1) carry out reimbursable agreements in order to maximize research and development effectiveness, and (2) collaborate with other federal agencies. Further, the interagency agreement must require the use of a competitive, merit-reviewed process, which considers applications from federal agencies, national laboratories, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit institutions.

Research and development activities may include

  • collaborative research in a variety of focus areas such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, biofuels and biobased products, grid modernization and security, rural technology development, and wildfire risks and prevention;
  • developing methods to accommodate large voluntary standardized and integrated data sets on agricultural, environmental, supply chain, and economic information;
  • supporting research infrastructure and workforce development; and
  • collaborative research and development on ways to improve agriculture operations and processing efficiencies, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

SJRES 10: A joint resolution terminating the national emergency declared with respect to energy.

This joint resolution terminates the national emergency relating to energy declared by the President on January 20, 2025, in Executive Order 14156.

The executive order states that the supply of and infrastructure for energy in the United States is insufficient to meet the country’s needs. It defines energy as crude oil, natural gas, lease condensates, natural gas liquids, refined petroleum products, uranium, coal, biofuels, geothermal heat, the kinetic movement of flowing water, and critical minerals. 

The executive order directs the heads of executive departments and agencies to use available emergency and other authorities to take certain actions to address this topic, including approving development of domestic energy resources, expediting the completion of authorized energy infrastructure (particularly in the Northeast, West Coast, and Alaska), and pursuing the use of emergency permitting provisions under certain environmental regulations.

The executive order also directs the Department of Defense to conduct an assessment of its ability to acquire and transport energy resources (particularly in the Northeast and West Coast), and invokes emergency military construction authority to address any vulnerabilities identified in the assessment.

HR 855: Housing Innovation Act

Housing Innovation Act

This bill establishes the Office of Housing Innovation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The office must establish grant programs to support (1) planning efforts that address housing needs in urban areas; (2) research and studies to support, inform, and advise local governments on their plans for new housing and community development; and (3) outreach programs focused on issues related to housing, community development, and regional planning.

The Government Accountability Office must report on the effectiveness of the grant programs.