Lamar Smith: “I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma, the vice chairman of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (Mr. Lucas)…”

“I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma, the vice chairman of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (Mr. Lucas), for yielding me time on his bill. The energy bill we are considering is H.R. 5906, the ARPA-E Act of 2018. It establishes clear DOE policy in a new direction and new requirements for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, called ARPA-E, program. This legislation updates the mission of ARPA-E to focus on developing technological solutions to energy, economic, environmental, and national security challenges. This includes allowing ARPA-E to develop technologies to address the management, cleanup, and disposal of nuclear waste and to enhance the security and resilience of the electric grid. H.R. 5906 also maximizes the Department's resources. It requires ARPA-E to coordinate with other DOE programs, avoid duplication, and ensures that ARPA-E grants go to innovative technologies that would not otherwise be funded by the private sector. The bill reforms ARPA-E but does not authorize any funding for ARPA- E. Instead, H.R. 5906 provides much-needed reform to the ARPA-E program. It also leaves the door open for Congress to readdress ARPA-E funding in the future and determine if the Agency is meeting its intended purpose. Unfortunately, there have been some mischaracterizations of this legislation, so let the Record be clear: Supporting H.R.…”