Legislative Update: Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2016 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill Containing $105 Million for ARC May 2015

On May 21, the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved its fiscal year (FY) 2016 energy and water development appropriations bill, which provides $105 million for ARC’s nonhighway programs. This amount is $15 million more than ARC received for FY 2015 and $10 million more than the amount included in the House of Representatives’ FY 2016 energy and water development bill, approved on May 1.

Of the $105 million, $25 million is allocated for the administration’s proposed POWER+ Plan (PDF: 58 KB) to help communities that have been adversely impacted by changes in the coal industry and power sector; this is the amount requested for that program in the president’s proposed FY 2016 budget. The $105 million also includes $10 million to continue a workforce training program focused primarily on the automotive supplier industry in Southern Appalachia and on the aviation sector in South Central Appalachia. ARC’s base program would continue to receive funding at its FY 2015 funding level of $70 million.

The full Senate is expected to consider the measure later this summer.