Just two weeks before appropriation committees of the U.S. House and Senate voted to cut DOE’s programs for renewable energy and energy efficiency, and increase funding for nuclear and fossil fuels programs, a survey showed that Americans want the opposite.
For the fifth year in a row, the Sustainable Energy Coalition survey found that a majority of all Americans (62%) give the highest priority to funding DOE’s renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. 31 percent of respondents indicated that nuclear power R&D should be the first program to receive budget cuts, followed by fossil fuels (21%).
Some of the other results of the survey are:
— 78% support including a Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard requiring 10% of electricity be generated from solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass sources as part of federal electric utility restructuring legislation.
— 59% favor creating a Public Benefits Fund, supported by a 2-3% surcharge on utility bills, to fund energy efficiency, low-income energy assistance, and renewable energy R&D programs.
— 89% believe electricity suppliers should be required to disclose to customers the type of fuel used and amount of air pollutant emitted.
— 76% believe electric utility shareholders, not customers, should be responsible for paying off the cost of uneconomic nuclear power plants as the utility industry is deregulated.
— Over 80% favor tax incentives to increase the use of renewable energy for the production of electricity either strongly (45%) or at least somewhat (36%).
— 77% support tax incentives for the purchase of automobiles that are at least twice as energy efficient as the average new car either strongly (46%) or at least somewhat (31%).
— 83% support tax incentives to spur the purchase of new homes that are at least 30% more energy efficient than the average new home either strongly (51%) or at least somewhat (32%).
— 84% believe tax incentives should be offered to encourage the purchase of home heating and cooling systems that are at least 30% more energy-efficient with a majority (51%) agreeing strongly and another third (33%) agreeing at least somewhat.
Yet, on May 25, the Senate Energy & Water Appropriations Subcommittee voted to
approve a Fiscal Year 2000 budget cut of 22 percent below the Administration’s
request for DOE renewable energy programs, 10 percent below the FY’99 appropriation. On the House side, the House Science Committee reduced the renewables budget by $180 million below the Administration’s request. DOE’s fossil fuels and nuclear programs received more money than the Administration requested.
“America Speaks Out on Energy: Budget Priorities, Electric Utility Restructuring, and Tax Incentives.” For a copy, contact Ken Bossong: kbossong@cais.com
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