Mines receives $984,000 for Colorado Center for Sustainable Energy

WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 19, 2007 – U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy & Water Development, announced today he has secured $69.21 million in funding for Colorado as a part of the Omnibus Appropriations bill – $984,000 is slated for the Colorado Center for Sustainable Energy at Colorado School of Mines.

“The projects that I included in this bill are from every part of the state and will ensure that important projects can go forward,” said Allard. “I am pleased that my seat on the Energy & Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee puts me in a position to secure this important funding for our state.”

In addition to funding Colorado projects, the bill includes $1.74 billion for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the account which funds the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo.  Allard does not make requests for earmarks that would negatively affect the funding for NREL.

“Government funded research on renewable and highly efficient technologies is the backbone that helps continue advancements in this field,” continued Allard. “To request funds that take away from the important work being done at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is a direct hit at our ability to remain in the forefront of technological advances in the area of renewable energy.”

Allard is listed in the final version of the bill as the ‘Requesting Member' for the following projects for Colorado that he requested:

• $984,000 for the Colorado Center for Sustainable Energy at the Colorado School of Mines;
• $984,000 for Ultra Dense Memory for Supercomputing;
• $984,000 to place the Northern Hemisphere Pierre Auger Observatory in eastern Colorado ;
• $492,000 for the Rocky Flats Cold War Museum in Arvada ;
• $60.64 million for the Animas-La Plata project in Durango ;
• $147,000 to complete the Army Corps feasibility study on Fountain Creek;
• $1.65 million for Operations and Maintenance at Chatfield Reservoir, including a direction that the Army Corps continue work on the Chatfield Reallocation Study;
• $1.26 million for Operations and Maintenance at Cherry Creek Reservoir;
• $1.79 million for Operations and Maintenance at Trinidad Lake Reservoir
• $269,000 to continue the Army Corps feasibility study at Chatfield, Cherry Creek and Bear Creek Reservoirs;
• Priority designation under the Army Corps Continuing Authorities Program for the Arkansas River Habitat Restoration.

Allard opposed the final version of the Omnibus Appropriations bill due to a controversial measure that prohibited the promulgation of oil shale development regulations for the Western Slope, which could result in the millions of dollars being lost for Colorado 's rural communities and school districts.

The final version of the bill is now headed to the President to be signed into law.