An amendment authored by Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) to S. 1392, broad energy efficiency legislation the Senate is scheduled to consider this week, would create a joint EPA-Department of Energy (DOE) pilot program to encourage the development and use of “smart” water technologies.
The Udall amendment would establish a “Smart Water Resource Pilot Program” to competitively award between three and five grants to water and wastewater providers to demonstrate “novel and innovative” technologies that increase water and energy efficiency, promote water and energy conservation, and support the development and use of “advanced automated systems that provide real-time data on energy
and water.” EPA and DOE would award each grant – which could be worth up to several million dollars – after considering the novelty, cost effectiveness, and potential energy and cost savings of each application.
AMWA and other water sector organizations offered feedback to Sen. Udall as he crafted the amendment, and last week a coalition of groups endorsed the proposal in a letter to the senator. However, more than 80 amendments have already been filed for S. 1392, and at this point it is not known which amendments will ultimately receive votes on the Senate floor.