Energy & Water

Proposed Recipient: University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02747

Amount Requested: $1,000,000

Explanation of project, including purpose and why this is a valuable use of taxpayer funds:
Marine Renewable Energy Center. This project will create an in-ocean test site and renewable energy lab to research, demonstrate and validate marine renewable energy technologies. Currently, there are no pre-approved in-ocean test sites in the United States for marine renewable energy technologies. Creating this site and lab will greatly aid U.S. and international companies and research universities directly involved in marine renewable energy. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the site and lab will lower the R&D costs to companies developing and manufacturing these technologies, make it easier for these companies to commercialize products and provide a national training site for clean energy engineers and technicians.

Proposed Recipient: University of Massachusetts Medical School
55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655

Amount Requested: $2,000,000

Explanation of project, including purpose and why this is a valuable use of taxpayer funds:
RNAi Research at UMASS Medical School, Worcester, MA. The University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) is seeking $2 million in the Fiscal Year 2011 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill (Science) to support research associated with RNAi. RNAi (RNA interference) is a mechanism that inhibits gene expression at the stage of translation or by hindering the transcription of specific genes. Support for RNAi research and the world-class concentration of RNAi biologists at UMass Medical School aligns with the stated goals of the division—namely the development of genome-scale technologies needed to understand the function of microbial and plant systems—as it will further understanding on a genome-scale basis of genes and proteins and their biological functions. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because RNAi is used to speed and focus the development of traditional medicines, increasing the quality of health care and lowering costs. Also, RNAi itself can be used to reduce the hyperactivity of harmful genes.

Proposed Recipient: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, (Civil Works), New England District
696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742

Amount Requested: $600,000

Explanation of project, including purpose and why this is a valuable use of taxpayer funds:
Blackstone River Watershed Restoration, MA and RI. This project is seeking $600,000 to support an ongoing feasibility study aimed at identifying watershed restoration opportunities in the Blackstone River Basin in Massachusetts. The goals of this study are to identify environmental restoration needs and opportunities in the basin, develop plans and cost estimates for restoration projects, assess benefits and costs of alternative restoration plans, select a recommended watershed restoration plan, and prepare appropriate NEPA documentation. As part of this feasibility study, the Upper Blackstone WPAD is preparing a comprehensive basin-wide inventory of possible wetland, riparian, pond, stream bank, and in-stream habitat restoration opportunities. In addition, a rapid ecological assessment protocol was developed to determine the ecological health of each impoundment on all perennial tributaries within the basin. Feasibility Studies on watershed restoration of the Blackstone River will occur in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because watershed restoration is essential to conservation and overall environmental health.