Following is a statement from Gregory Wetstone, President and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), on the Fiscal Year 2021 Energy and Water Appropriations bill passed by the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee:

"We thank the House Appropriations Committee for their strong support for clean energy innovation in the FY 2021 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. The research and development that's done daily at the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) fills an essential gap at a time when the United States is racing to stay competitive in the 21st century's global clean energy race. Now is clearly not the time to retreat from these critical investments."

Background: In April, ACORE and seven other renewable energy groups sent a joint letter to Congress urging consistent funding for clean energy innovation in the Department of Energy's FY 2021 Budget and opposing the Administration's proposed cuts to these critical programs. The renewable energy sector helps support hundreds of thousands of American jobs and billions of dollars in annual investment.

ACORE | www.acore.org