Cooperative Agreement Has Served As Catalyst Of Innovation And Economic Growth In Both Nations, Strengthening U.S.-Israel Bilateral Relations.
 
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today urged the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development to provide at least $2 million in funding to preserve the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperative Agreement in the FY2011 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill. To date, appropriations for the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperative Agreement have yielded advances in important areas such as energy grid management, biodiesel, and solar energy – creating numerous opportunities for American companies in New York and across the United States.
 
In her letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Byron Dorgan and Ranking Member Senator Robert Bennett, Senator Gillibrand wrote, “I strongly support the aim of renewable energy collaboration between the U.S. and Israel.  Our work with Israel, a world leader in green energy research and development, has great promise for the future of marketable alternative energy technologies. […] U.S.-Israel collaboration and the work of foundations such as BIRD and BSF have had a lasting and fundamental impact on our countries’ economies and relationship.”
 
Funding for the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperative Agreement has been allocated in the last two appropriation acts – FY2009 and FY2010. The President’s budget proposal for FY2011 included an increase in the international renewable energy program, but did not designate funding specifically for Israel. Senator Gillibrand is working to ensure that at least $2 million in funding will be guaranteed for this program in the FY2011 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill.
 
The funds for this program will be administered by the United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD) and the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), for renewable-energy research and development cooperative projects between the two nations. Since first appropriated, the U.S. contribution to this partnership has been matched $3 to $1 by the Israeli government and the private sector, making this a sound investment for the U.S. government.
 
Businesses throughout the United States, including New York State, have benefitted from the funding of scientific collaboration between the U.S. and Israel because it has served as a catalyst of innovation and economic growth. Senator Gillibrand believes that preserving this cooperative agreement is not only important for U.S.-Israel bilateral relationship, but beneficial for the United State’s economy and security.
 
The Senator’s full letter to Chairman Byron Dorgan and Ranking Member Senator Robert Bennett is below:
 
June 17, 2010
 
Chairman Byron Dorgan
Ranking Member Robert Bennett
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
Senate Appropriations Committee
184 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
 
Dear Chairman Dorgan and Ranking Member Bennett,
 
I write to you to request that your subcommittee provide at least $2 million to maintain the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperative Agreement in the FY2011 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill.
 
Including this level of funding in the upcoming year’s appropriations bill would maintain the U.S. contribution to this fund, which has leveraged about $3 of Israeli government and private investment for every $1 of U.S. Government funding.  The government funds primarily support the research and development projects, not the administrative costs of the two bi-lateral institutions that administer these funds, the United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD) and the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF).
 
The projects funded by these appropriations to date include cooperative research grants to joint projects in important areas such as energy grid management, biodiesel, and solar energy.  As a member of both the Senate Foreign Relations and Environment and Public Works Committees, I strongly support the aim of renewable energy collaboration between the U.S. and Israel.  Our work with Israel, a world leader in green energy research and development, has great promise for the future of marketable alternative energy technologies.  As I wrote in an op-ed in March, U.S.-Israel collaboration and the work of foundations such as BIRD and BSF have had a lasting and fundamental impact on our countries’ economies and relationship.
 
American companies throughout the United States, including my home state of New York, have benefitted from the funding of scientific collaboration between the U.S. and Israel because it has served as a catalyst of innovation and economic growth.
 
Congress should continue to support the funding of this successful model, which is not only important for our bilateral relationship, but beneficial to our economy and our security. I thank you for your consideration and support of this program.
 
Sincerely,
Kirsten E. Gillibrand