Desalination Water Supply Shortage Prevention Act of 2005

H.R. 1071, the Desalination Water Supply Shortage Prevention Act of 2005, was designed to increase the nation’s supply of fresh water by providing federal financial incentives to desalination plants. The bill would have authorized the Secretary of Energy to pay owners and operators of new desalination facilities 62 cents for every thousand gallons of water produced and sold for up to ten years. These payments were intended to offset the high electricity costs associated with removing salt from seawater or brackish water.

For citizens, the bill aimed to lower the cost of producing clean drinking water and improve water security in areas prone to droughts or shortages. It prioritized funding for projects that used renewable energy, protected marine life, or provided water for national defense and disaster recovery. While the bill was introduced and considered by committees, it did not become law and expired at the end of the 109th Congress.