Bipartisan Bill Includes Funding to Support Ongoing Construction of Soo Locks Project
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured funding for high-impact, local public projects and Michigan priorities in the Fiscal Year 2026 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act that passed the Senate. The bipartisan legislation includes funding for protecting the Great Lakes, continued construction of the Soo Locks, strengthening our power grid, and flood prevention. The bill now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
“This bipartisan legislation delivers crucial investments that will support Michigan’s economy and help protect our Great Lakes and precious freshwater assets,” said Senator Peters. “I was proud to secure funding in the bill to build more resilient infrastructure, bolster clean energy production, and advance research that keeps our state at the forefront of innovation.”
The bill includes numerous measures led and supported by Peters, including:
Strengthening Critical Infrastructure
Robust Funding for Soo Locks Construction: Peters secured $176.6 million in the bill for the Soo Locks construction project. This funding will support ongoing construction of the new Poe-sized lock. Peters has prioritized securing the funding necessary to build the new lock. Last year, through his role on the Appropriations Committee, he secured more than $264 million through government funding legislation. In 2024, he toured the ongoing construction project after helping to secure $257.4 million for the project. In January 2022, Peters also helped to secure $479 million for modernizing the Soo Locks through the bipartisan infrastructure law.
Brandon Road Lock and Dam Funding: Peters secured $28 million for construction of numerous measures to counter invasive carp at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, a critical choke point for halting the continued spread of invasive carp and preventing them from establishing in the Great Lakes.
Supporting U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: The bill provides over $10 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to support critical projects that strengthen our nation’s waterways and protect communities from extreme weather events.
Strengthening Michigan Ports and Harbors: The bill provides a historic more than $3 billion, a $702 million increase over fiscal year 2025, to improve navigation and commerce on our nation’s waterways, including the Great Lakes. The bill also includes funding for inland waterway navigation projects, which help improve the transport of important commodities like grain, iron, and petroleum.
Protecting the Great Lakes, Access to Clean Water
Replacing Lead Service Lines in Detroit: Peters secured $9 million in funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to replace lead service lines throughout the City of Detroit, helping to ensure safe drinking water and public health.
Great Lakes Authority: The bill includes $5 million for the Great Lakes Authority (GLA), one of ten federal regional commissions that seek to address major economic distress in certain geographic regions. The funding will be used to make targeted investments in economically distressed communities across the Great Lakes Basin, helping to ensure communities throughout the region have access to quality public infrastructure, job training opportunities, and the general tools necessary for economic prosperity. The GLA encompasses counties throughout eight states: Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Indiana.
Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study: The bill provides the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with $3 million to continue conducting its Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study, which is developing a coordinated strategy and identifying aging infrastructure to protect 5,200 miles of Great Lakes coastline against flooding and erosion.
Bolstering U.S. Manufacturing and Innovation, Michigan’s Automotive Sector
Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB): The bill provides $110 million for FRIB operations and $15 million for the construction of the High Rigidity Spectrometer (HRS). The facility is housed at Michigan State University. The rare isotopes produced at FRIB will allow nuclear scientists and researchers to explore a range of potential applications in the fields such as energy, medicine, and national security, including diagnosing and curing diseases, improving next generation nuclear reactors for energy, and finding processes to destroy nuclear waste. Once completed, HRS will enable isotope harvesting and substantially increase FRIB’s scientific reach and productivity.
Supporting Scientific Discovery: The bill provides $8.4 billion in funding for the Office of Science. The Office of Science is the largest federal sponsor of basic research in the physical sciences and supports 22,000 researchers at 17 national laboratories and more than 300 universities, including in Michigan. The bill will advance research in the highest priorities including high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, biology, and clean energy to maintain and strengthen our global competitiveness. The bill also boosts funding for the Office’s work on artificial intelligence and advanced computing to help the Department of Energy implement the Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence for Science, Security, and Technology (FASST) initiative.
Renewable Energy: The bill provides $3.1 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs that support all types of research, including into advanced manufacturing and building and industrial decarbonization. The bill rejects President Trump’s proposed cut of over $2.5 billion for this research, as well as his proposal to zero out funding for critical solar, wind, and hydrogen research programs. The bill maintains vital investments to bolster energy and manufacturing supply chains to help ensure our continued global leadership in energy technologies.
Protecting Our Energy Grid: The bill provides $190 million to help ensure the continued success of the Department of Energy’s programs aimed at strengthening the security and resilience of our energy sector and grid. It also provides robust funding for both the Office of Electricity and the Grid Deployment Office, rejecting President Trump’s proposed merger of the two offices. The bill will also support upgrades to critical electrical grid infrastructure, an essential investment when energy costs are skyrocketing due to President Trump’s policies, including the termination of renewable energy projects across the country.
Tribal Energy: The bill provides funding for the Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs. The bill also rejects President Trump’s proposal to prohibit funding for wind, solar, and battery projects. This funding will help electrify the 30,000 Tribal homes that currently do not have access to power.
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