Manchin-Led Committee Pitches Bill Boosting Nuclear Energy, Mining Amid Tense Infrastructure Negotiations

Sen. Joe Manchin released a 423-page energy infrastructure package on Friday that will be discussed this week, according to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

The West Virginia Democrat, who serves as the committee’s chairman, introduced the discussion draft amid growing debates on a larger bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Sen. Joe Manchin, the hub around which most infrastructure talk has spun, has come out with a massive draft bill that seems to be a wish list for the energy infrastructure spending portion of a larger deal.https://t.co/x2tkcGFxjj

— E&E News (@EENewsUpdates) June 21, 2021

The energy infrastructure proposal aims to “invest in the energy and outdoor infrastructure of the United States to deploy new and innovative technologies, update existing infrastructure to be reliable and resilient, and secure energy infrastructure against physical and cyber threats, and for other purposes,” the draft bill says.   

The proposal looks to provide $1.2 billion in grants and credits for financially struggling nuclear power plants, funding for clean hydrogen research and transportation infrastructure and carbon capture development. 

It also allocates funds to improve the electrical grid by directing states to issue demand response policies, a program that awards customers who cut back on energy demand due to extreme weather.

Also in the draft are provisions to boost the supply chain for electric vehicle and grid storage batteries. This includes allocating billions of dollars to mining and manufacturing metals used in batteries, like lithium and nickel.

The package aims to improve energy efficiency in commercial and residential buildings, schools and industrial facilities through government grants.

The proposal looks to improve the cybersecurity protection of various energy resources through grants and federal funding, expand clean energy projects at former mines and capping old oil wells to reduce methane emission.

Manchin did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. (RELATED: ‘I’m Not Going To Be Extorted’: Lindsey Graham Blasts Democrats For Threatening To Change The Rules If They Can’t Win Votes)

“Chairman Manchin circulated a draft bill that represents his priorities. Neither Ranking Member Barrasso nor his staff had an opportunity to review this legislation before Chairman Manchin noticed the hearing,” Ranking Member John Barrasso’s office told the DCNF. 

“Ranking Member Barrasso is reviewing the draft legislation and looks forward to the opportunity to ask questions about it at the hearing,” the Wyoming Republican’s office said. 

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