Senators Mark Warner, D-V.A., and John Thune, R-S.D., have introduced legislation that would update rules for allowing commercial use of unmanned aerial vehicles that can fly beyond visual line of sight.

The Increasing Competitiveness for American Drones Act of 2023 would order the Federal Aviation Administration to develop a more efficient commercial drone flight approval process to allow BVLOS operations in select situations, which would help maintain U.S. standing in the global drone market, Warner’s office said Wednesday.

“Revamping the process for approving commercial drone flight will catapult the United States into the 21st century, allowing us to finally start competing at the global level as technological advancements make drone usage ever more common,” said Warner, who is a three-time Wash100 Award winner.

Drone operators and pilots are currently required to seek FAA approval before conducting BVLOS operations.

To guide the implementation of the updated rules, the bill proposes the creation of a unmanned aerial system certification unit and a new associate administrator of UAS integration position at the FAA.

“Drones have the potential to transform the economy, with innovative opportunities for transportation and agriculture that would benefit rural states like South Dakota,” Thune commented.

The Environmental Protection Agency is soliciting feedback from communities and their partners on the design and focus of projects that should be awarded under the Environmental and Climate Justice program.

The request for information precedes a notice of funding opportunity that EPA intends to launch in the summer, leveraging $2 billion in ECJ program grants, the agency said Thursday.

The Inflation Reduction Act provides EPA with $3 billion in funding for ECJ projects. To maximize the program’s benefits, the agency is seeking information on the best approaches to its design, grantee eligibility, application process, technical assistance and reporting oversight.

“EPA is committed to using Inflation Reduction Act funding to make significant investments in the health, equity, and resilience of all communities and to address past, current, and future environmental and climate justice challenges,” said Marianne Engelman-Lado, acting principal deputy assistant administrator for the EPA Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. “This Request for Information allows us to hear from communities and their partners on how our grant programs can work better for the communities that need this support the most.”

EPA will accept public input on the ECJ program until March 17.

The Department of Energy has begun seeking industry comments on the establishment of a new foundation that will aim to raise and invest funds to accelerate the development of clean energy technologies.

The Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation will help facilitate public-private partnerships, invest in clean energy technology manufacturers and promote inclusion of underrepresented groups in DOE funding programs, the department said Thursday.

Authorized under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, FESI will be DOE’s first ever agency-related foundation and will be tasked with engaging with the philanthropic communities and private sector partners to boost the commercialization of existing and future clean energy technologies.

“This first-of-its-kind foundation will serve as a critical new partner to the Department in our efforts to strengthen American ingenuity and deliver the technologies of the future so critical to an equitable clean energy economy,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

DOE is seeking comments from national laboratory foundations, potential investors, industry stakeholders and other potential collaborators.

Responses gathered from the request for information will be used to inform DOE’s efforts to establish FESI by September 2023.