The U.S. Senate last week approved increased funding for energy efficiency programs in the fiscal year 2010 appropriations for the Department of Energy (DOE).
In total, the Senate approved $2.23 billion for DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
programs, up from the $1.928 billion appropriated for the current
fiscal year. The Obama administration had requested $2.31 billion.
For specific efficiency programs, the Senate approved:
- $202 million for the Building Technologies Program, an increase of $62 million over FY09
- $100 million for the Industrial Technologies Program, $10 million more than in FY09
- $32 million for the Federal Energy Management Program, an increase of $10 million over FY09
- $323 million for the Vehicle Technologies Program, $81 million over FY09 funding
- $200 million for the Weatherization Assistanc Program (WAP), $250 million less than in FY09.
“We applaud the Senate for recognizing that the country will benefit from an increased investment in essential energy efficiency programs,” Alliance to Save Energy President Kateri Callahan said. “To deploy energy efficiency as a cost-effective solution to our energy and climate imperatives, however, demands investment at least at the level that has been requested by the Obama administration.” She continued, “The Alliance to Save Energy urges House and Senate conferees to adopt the full increases for DOE-led energy efficiency programs requested by the Obama administration.
“Strong base funding for all energy efficiency and renewable energy (EERE) programs is necessary to offset the drop in resources that will otherwise occur when the economic recovery funding is exhausted,” Callahan added.
Last week, McKinsey & Company released a new research report showing that the United States could save about $600 billion in energy costs by 2020 by increasing annual energy efficiency spending roughly five-fold.
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