Obama's Budget Request Ups DOE Spending

On Monday, the Obama Administration sent its $3.8 trillion budget proposal to Congress, including an additional $1.8 billion for the Department of Energy.

Not surprisingly, the budget focuses on job creation, calling for $100 billion in additional stimulus spending.

It also cuts funding for the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency–though the EPA said it will actually increase staff members, while cutting funding in non-critical areas.

The budget also calls for an end to $36.5 billion in subsidies for oil and gas companies. The administration asked for these subsidy cuts last year as well. Read additional coverage at the link below.

Energy efficiency and renewable energy programs got a boost of $113 million over last year’s budget to a total of $2.4 billion, according to Reuters estimates. However that pales in comparison to the request for $36 billion in new loan authority for nuclear power facilities.

Below are some highlights from the budget requests for various agencies. 

Department of Energy

Loan guarantees for nuclear power facilities – $36 billion in new loan authority for a total of $54.5 billion
smart-grid technologies – $144 million for research, development, and demonstration activities
Biofuels and biomass R&D – $220 million
Solar energy – $302 million
Advanced vehicle technologies – $325 million
Carbon capture technologies – $545 million for "advanced" coal
Clean energy activities and civilian nuclear energy programs – $793 million
Office of Science – $5.1 billion, including $1.8 billion for basic energy sciences to discover novel ways to produce, store, and use energy

Department of Interior

Renewable Energy Permitting – $73 million–a $14 million increase–to build agency capacity to review and permit renewable energy projects on federal lands.

Environmental Protection Agency

Climate Change Mitigation

•  $21 million–an increase of $4 million from 2010–to implement the Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule and ensure the availability of high-quality emissions data.
• $56 million–including $43 million in new funding–for the EPA and states to address climate change effectively through regulatory initiatives to control greenhouse gas emissions 
• $25 million to aid states in permitting activities for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the New Source Review and Title V operating permits programs 
• $7 million to develop New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) to control GHG emissions from major stationary sources 
• $6 million in new funding to implement the 2010 light duty vehicle rule and to develop regulations for large mobile sources
• $5 million to develop guidance regarding the best available practices and technologies to control GHG emissions under permitting 

Department of Labor

Green Job Training – $85 million

Department of Transportation

National Infrastructure Innovation and Finance Fund (new) – $4 billion
President’s Partnership for Sustainable Communities – $530 million
High-speed rail – $1 billion

Department of Commerce

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) – $712 million for development of standards ranging from cybersecurity and smart grid to energy efficiency
Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership – $130 million to enhance the competitiveness of the nation’s industries by facilitating the adoption of more efficient manufacturing processes

Department of State

$1.4 billion to help developing nations adapt to climate change and pursue low-carbon development with the assistance of U.S.-built clean energy technologies and increased sequestration of carbon stored in soils, plants, and trees.