H.R. 2280: BIRD Energy and U.S.-Israel Energy Center Reauthorization Act of 2025

This bill, known as the BIRD Energy and U.S.-Israel Energy Center Reauthorization Act of 2025, is focused on enhancing and extending energy cooperation between the United States and Israel. Here are the key points of what the bill would do:

1. Background

The BIRD Energy Foundation was established in 2009 to foster collaboration between the U.S. and Israel in energy development. Its main goals include:

• Addressing energy challenges of mutual interest.
• Commercializing clean energy technologies.
• Creating jobs and enhancing economic competitiveness.
• Advancing research in areas like cybersecurity, renewable energy, and energy storage.

2. Funding Increases

The bill proposes to enhance funding for two major energy cooperation authorities:

• Increase the annual funding cap for cooperative research from $2 million to $5 million for the years 2026 through 2031.
• Raise the funding limit for the U.S.-Israel Energy Center from $4 million to $7 million for the same period.

3. New Focus Areas

The bill expands the categories for U.S.-Israel energy cooperation to include additional fields such as:

• Hydrogen energy
• Fusion energy
• Industrial decarbonization
• Carbon management
• Agrivoltaics
• Grid modernization
• Cybersecurity for energy infrastructure

4. Reauthorization Period

The existing authorization for U.S.-Israel energy cooperation is extended, updating the end date from 2024 to 2035.

5. Implications

By reauthorizing and increasing the funding for energy cooperation, the bill aims to strengthen the partnership between the U.S. and Israel in addressing energy issues, promoting clean energy technologies, and enhancing economic ties between the two nations.

Relevant Companies

• TSLA (Tesla, Inc.) - As a major player in clean energy technology, Tesla may benefit from increased funding for research in renewable energy and energy storage developments.
• NIO (NIO Inc.) - This electric vehicle manufacturer could see an advantage from new clean energy initiatives and collaborative projects involving energy storage solutions.
• PLUG (Plug Power Inc.) - Specializing in hydrogen energy solutions, this company stands to benefit from the expanded focus on hydrogen energy as outlined in the bill.