While the request is largely symbolic, released at the beginning of an election year to a Congress that has found little common ground with the Obama administration, it does offer a window into White House thinking on climate and energy issues.
The president's proposal would increase spending at the Energy Department to $27.2 billion, 3.2 percent above the 2012 level.
The White House request includes a 27.3 percent increase, to $350 million, for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), which is designed to fund high-risk, high-reward research projects in areas like energy storage, alternative fuels and emissions reductions.
DOE's Energy and Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) program would also receive a significant boost, up 29 percent, to $2.3 billion.
The White House request would also boost the Advanced Manufacturing Office's budget to $290 million, an increase of 150 percent, to carry out its goal of getting new materials and technologies to assembly lines to improve efficiency while cutting costs and increasing production quality.
A 'pragmatic' proposal for DOE
Energy Secretary Steven Chu said yesterday that his department is also increasing efforts to commercialize its technologies by making it easier for companies to license patents form national labs and other research facilities.
"We've realized that one size doesn't fit all," said Chu, pointing to changes that will allow small businesses to get exclusive licensing rights to patents in order to gain a competitive edge.
The White House request would also cut funding for some programs at DOE, including carbon capture and sequestration development and spending on nuclear energy.
The agency also plans to cut its vehicle fleet by 35 percent over the next few years, as part of an overall penny-pinching plan that includes new efforts to cut travel expenses and improved energy and resource management. Read the full report here.
Source: Lauren Morello, Umair Irfan, Julia Pyper and Tiffany Stecker, E&E reporters, ClimateWire, E&E News.
