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DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE): Appropriations Status

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DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE): Appropriations and the FY2016 Budget Request Kelsi Bracmort Specialist in Agricultural Conservation and Natural Resources Policy Fred Sissine Specialist in Energy Policy November 4, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R44262 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Summary The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is the principal government agency responsible for renewable-energy technologies and energy- (EERE): The FY2017 Budget Request February 22, 2016 (R44262) Jump to Main Text of Report

Summary

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is the principal government agency responsible for renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency efforts. EERE works with industry, academia, national laboratories, and others to conduct research and development (R&D) and to issue grants to state governments. EERE oversees an expansive collection of oversees nearly a dozen technologies and programs—from vehicle technologies to solar energy to advanced manufacturing to weatherization and intergovernmental programs—each having its own respective mission and program goals. EERE receives its funding from the annual energy and water development (E&W) appropriations bill. The Administration’s FY2016 bill. For FY2017, the Administration is requesting both discretionary and mandatory funding for EERE. The Administration's FY2017 budget request for EERE is $2.7 billion, an increase of $799 million (42%) from the FY2015 enacted level of $1.9 billion. The bulk of the request is split between three areas: nearly 38% for energy-efficiency programs, nearly 24% for renewableenergy programs, and some 29% for sustainable-transportation programs. The EERE request is approximately 9% of the $29.9 billion FY2016 request for DOE. The EERE budget request aligns with other plans issued by the Administration, including the President’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) and the Clean Power Plan (CPP). One highlight of the request is that it includes funding for the formation of two additional Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institutes ($70 million each) along with annual support for the four existing institutes ($14 million each). The request also identifies several sustainabletransportation and renewable-power goals that include achieving cost targets set for the respective technologies (for example, supporting the SunShot Initiative goal to make solar power costcompetitive without subsidies by 2020, equivalent to a cost of solar power of $.06 per kilowatthour). Some congressional criticisms regarding the EERE budget request include the large funding increase, a lack of balance in what has been described as an “all of the above” approach to energy-technology funding, and Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute funding commitments, among other things. Congress has not completed action on the FY2016 E&W appropriations bill. The House-passed bill, H.R. 2028, contains $1.66 billion for EERE, a decrease from both the FY2016 request and the FY2015 enacted level. On the Senate side, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported its version of H.R. 2028 with a funding level of $1.95 billion, a decrease from the FY2016 request and a slight increase over the FY2015 enacted level. The Administration has issued a veto threat, particularly for the House funding levels, in part because it finds that the House bill would “underfund critical activities” performed by EERE. The President signed into law a continuing resolution (P.L. 114-53) on September 30, 2015, providing EERE with appropriations essentially at the FY2015 level through December 11, 2015, or until enactment of the FY2016 E&W appropriation bill. Congressional Research Service Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Background ..................................................................................................................................... 1 EERE ......................................................................................................................................... 1 Administration Support for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy ................................... 2 FY2011-FY2015 Appropriations ..................................................................................................... 2 FY2016 Request .............................................................................................................................. 2 Energy and Energy Efficiency Spending: FY1948-FY2014 ........................................................... 6 Congressional Action ...................................................................................................................... 7 House ........................................................................................................................................ 7 Executive Branch Response ................................................................................................ 9 Senate ...................................................................................................................................... 10 Executive Branch Response ............................................................................................... 11 Figures Figure 1. Federal Energy Appropriations, FY1948-FY2014 ........................................................... 7 Tables Table 1. EERE FY2011-FY2015 Enacted Appropriations and FY2016 Budget Request ............... 5 Table 2. EERE FY2015 Enacted Appropriations, FY2016 Request, FY2016 House Passage, and FY2016 Senate Appropriations Committee Passage.............................................. 11 Contacts Author Contact Information .......................................................................................................... 12 Congressional Research Service Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Introduction This report discusses appropriations for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and summarizes congressional action related to EERE funding and oversight. The Administration is proposing to fund EERE for FY2016 at a level 42% higher than the FY2015 enacted level.1 The funding level provided by Congress could impact goals set by EERE, including sustainable-transportation goals (e.g., vehicle electrification and biofuels) and energy-efficiency goals (e.g., establishment of two additional Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institutes), and it could impact EERE assistance with industry competitiveness, among other things. The report places current funding for these activities within the context of recent and historical federal energy research and development (R&D) expenditures. This report does not discuss the opportunities, challenges, economic value, or commercial status of the various renewable-energy technologies and energy-efficiency initiatives selected by EERE, nor does it delve into the goals of the individual EERE programs or congressional oversight of certain EERE issues.2 Background EERE EERE leads the DOE’s effort to accelerate development and facilitate deployment of energyefficiency and renewable-energy technologies and market-based solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality. EERE is led by the Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and it is organized into four offices: Office of Transportation, Office of Renewable Power, Office of Energy Efficiency, and Office of Operations and Strategic Innovation.3 EERE reports that it invests in only what it considers to be the highest-impact activities. EERE collaborates with industry, academia, national laboratories, and others to develop technology-specific road maps and then focuses on early stage R&D, technology-validation and risk-reduction activities, and the reduction of market barriers to the adoption of market-ready new technologies. EERE also manages a portfolio of programs that support state and local governments, tribes, and school leaders. In addition, EERE oversees the 1 Currently, there is a continuing resolution (P.L. 114-53) providing the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) with appropriations essentially at the FY2015 level through December 11, 2015, or until enactment of the FY2016 energy and water development (E&W) appropriations bill. For more information on the continuing resolution, see CRS Report R44214, Overview of the FY2016 Continuing Resolution (H.R. 719), by Jessica Tollestrup. 2 For more information on clean energy, energy efficiency, and EERE programs, see CRS Report R43966, Energy and Water Development: FY2016 Appropriations, by Mark Holt; CRS Report R44004, DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: FY2016 Appropriations, by Fred Sissine; CRS Report R40913, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Incentives: A Summary of Federal Programs, by Lynn J. Cunningham and Beth Cook; CRS Report R43815, Energy Efficiency: DOE’s Regional Standards for Indoor (Non-Weatherized) Residential Gas Furnaces, by Fred Sissine and Adam Vann; CRS Report RS22858, Renewable Energy R&D Funding History: A Comparison with Funding for Nuclear Energy, Fossil Energy, and Energy Efficiency R&D, by Fred Sissine; CRS Report R42028, Lighting Industry Trends, by Fred Sissine; and CRS Report R42147, DOE Weatherization Program: A Review of Funding, Performance, and Cost-Effectiveness Studies, by Fred Sissine. 3 DOE was established under the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 (P.L. 95-91). Section 203 of the act identifies eight assistant secretary positions and the functions they are to cover. EERE Organization Chart, August 24, 2015. Congressional Research Service 1 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)—the only national laboratory solely dedicated to researching and developing renewable-energy and energy-efficiency technologies.4 Administration Support for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy The Obama Administration has repeatedly expressed support for energy efficiency and renewable energy, citing job creation, environmental protection, and U.S. manufacturing competitiveness as some of the reasons for doing so. For instance, the Administration touts the expansion of energy efficiency as one of the tactics contributing to reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions and providing savings for households.5 The Administration also conveys its support for the use of renewables in a clean-energy future with the generation of electricity from wind and solar, among other things.6 Additionally, the Administration’s Clean Power Plan (CPP)—which calls for a reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing fossil fuel-fired electric power plants—includes renewable energy and energy efficiency as strategies that states may use to meet their specific emission-rate or mass-based targets.7 FY2011-FY2015 Appropriations EERE receives its appropriations from the annual energy and water development (E&W) appropriations bill.8 For each of the last five years, DOE has requested increased funding to support EERE programs and objectives, and Congress’s response has been to provide funding at levels lower than what was requested. Appropriations for EERE have averaged $1.85 billion annually for the last five years (see Table 1). The appropriations are split into four major categories: sustainable transportation, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and corporate support (e.g., program administration). From FY2011 to FY2015, approximately two-thirds of the appropriations were split between sustainable transportation and energy efficiency, while roughly a quarter of the appropriations was spent on renewable energy and just over 10% was spent on corporate support. FY2016 Request DOE requested $2.7 billion to support EERE programs and objectives for FY2016, an increase of $799 million (42%) from the FY2015 enacted level of $1.9 billion (see Table 1). 9 The EERE FY2016 request is approximately 9% of the FY2016 overall DOE FY2016 request of $29.9 billion. The FY2016 EERE request would again allocate approximately two-thirds of the 4 There are other national laboratories that conduct energy-efficiency and renewable-energy work, such as Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 5 The White House, Economic Report of the President, February 2015; White House, The President’s Climate Action Plan, June 2013. 6 The White House, Economic Report of the President, February 2015. 7 For more information, see CRS Report R44145, EPA’s Clean Power Plan: Highlights of the Final Rule, by Jonathan L. Ramseur and James E. McCarthy. 8 The E&W appropriations bill has funded all DOE offices and programs since 2005. Prior to 2005, DOE received its appropriations from both the E&W appropriations bill and the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriation bill. 9 DOE, FY2016 Budget Request, vol. 3, February 2015. Congressional Research Service 2 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) appropriations to sustainable transportation and to energy efficiency, when the two categories are combined. However, energy efficiency would receive slightly more in its share of the two categories combined than it did in FY2015 (38% in FY2016, as compared with 33% in FY2015). The FY2016 request allocates close to 25% and 10% of the request for renewable energy and corporate support, respectively. It could be argued that the three categories that, when combined, receive the bulk of the appropriations—sustainable transportation, renewable energy, and energy efficiency—encompass a diverse array of activities, making it difficult to ascertain the impact of individual activities solely based on the appropriations provided at the organizational or thematic level. Some of the highlights and major changes presented in the EERE FY2016 request, as reported by DOE, include the following:   Sustainable Transportation  Support the Electric Vehicle (EV) Everywhere Grand Challenge by reducing the combined battery and electric drive system costs of a plug-in electric vehicle by up to 50% (by 2022, from a 2012 baseline).10  Support a new SuperTruck II initiative to research, develop, and demonstrate a suite of technologies with the goal of improving the freight-hauling efficiency of heavy-duty Class 8 long-haul vehicles by 100% by 2020 (with respect to comparable 2009 vehicles) and demonstrating applicability of these technologies to heavy-duty Class 8 regional-haul vehicles as well.11  Work to eliminate technical barriers to increased transportation use of alternative and renewable fuels, with a focus on natural gas and drop-in biofuels.12  Support the conversion of cellulosic and algal-based feedstocks to bio-based gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel at a target cost of $3.00 per gallon of gasoline equivalent (gge), with an emphasis on drop-in hydrocarbon biofuels.  Collaborate with the Navy and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to demonstrate commercial-scale biorefineries to produce military-specification fuels.13  Support reduced cost and increased durability of a fuel cell system and invest in R&D for technologies that can lower the cost of hydrogen from renewable resources to less than $4.00/gge.14 Renewable Energy  Support the SunShot Initiative goal of making solar power cost-competitive without subsidies by 2020, equivalent to a cost of solar power of $0.06 per kilowatt-hour.15 10 The EV Everywhere Grand Challenge is a DOE-wide initiative that seeks to enable the United States to produce a wide array of plug-in electric vehicle models, including plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles, that are as affordable and convenient as gasoline-powered vehicles by 2022. 11 This initiative follows the initial SuperTruck program established in 2009 with a challenge by DOE to truck manufacturers and suppliers to improve freight efficiency by 50% compared to a baseline vehicle, among other things. 12 Drop-in biofuels are generally described as biofuels that are indistinguishable from conventional petroleum-based fuels that may be used with existing infrastructure with no changes. 13 DOE signed a 2011 memorandum of understanding with the Navy and the Department of Agriculture to assist in the development and support of a sustainable commercial biofuels industry. 14 A fuel cell uses the chemical energy of hydrogen or another fuel to cleanly and efficiently produce electricity. Congressional Research Service 3 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)   Provide funding, technical assistance, and interagency coordination for three offshore wind-technology demonstration projects.16  Support the HydroNEXT Initiative, a multiyear program that will focus on new and innovative technologies for generating electricity from water resources.17  Support full implementation of the Subsurface Technology and Engineering research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) crosscut, which will address common technical RD&D challenges confronting the Geothermal Technologies Program, as well as other DOE offices. Energy Efficiency  Support the establishment of two additional Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institutes.18  Continue to support activities that assist and enable federal agencies to meet energy-related goals.  Pursue initiatives under the commercial and residential buildings programs that assist with overcoming market barriers to adoption of cost-effective energy-efficiency technologies and solutions.  Support rulemaking and standards certification and enforcement of both residential appliances and commercial products.  Provide access to home-weatherization services for low-income households.19  Establish a new program that will provide competitive grants and technical assistance to local governments for energy program and project planning, development, and implementation.20 EERE is also involved in key initiatives that involve other DOE offices. For instance, EERE reports that it is working on a coordinated strategy “of uniform policies and pilot programs aimed at significantly increasing meaningful interactions between the clean energy sector and DOE National Laboratories to help commercialize EERE technologies and strengthen clean energy R&D at the labs.” Further, EERE reports that it participates in the following DOE crosscutting (...continued) 15 Established in 2011, the SunShot Initiative conducts research, manufacturing, and marketing to make solar energy resources in the United States more affordable and accessible. 16 For more information on the three projects, see the DOE, FY2016 Budget Request, vol. 3, February 2015, p. 138. 17 DOE reports that “HydroNEXT is pursuing a comprehensive technology research, development, demonstration, and deployment strategy across three resource classes to increase the contribution of clean, renewable hydropower to the nation’s energy mix: existing water infrastructure, undeveloped streams, and pumped-storage hydropower.” For more information on the three projects, see DOE, FY2016 Budget Request, vol. 3, February 2015, p. 156. 18 DOE reports that the two new Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institutes would be competitively selected in FY2016 and that their priority technology area has been narrowed to four choices. For more information, see DOE, FY2016 Budget Request, vol. 3, February 2015, p. 200. 19 Weatherization services include a wide variety of energy-efficiency measures that encompass the building envelope, its heating and cooling systems, its electrical system, and electricity-consuming appliances (e.g., installing insulation, sealing ducts). 20 For more information, see DOE, FY2016 Budget Request, vol. 3, February 2015, p. 284. Congressional Research Service 4 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) initiatives: grid modernization,21 supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2),22 subsurface engineering,23 energy-water nexus,24 and cybersecurity.25 Table 1. EERE FY2011-FY2015 Enacted Appropriations and FY2016 Budget Request (in millions of dollars) FY2011 Enacted FY2012 Enacted FY2013 Current FY2014 Enacted FY2015 Enacted 1,795.6 1,809.6 1,691.8 1,901.7 1,923.9 2,723.0 Sustainable Transportation 580.7 634.0 584.2 615.3 602.0 793.0 Vehicle Technologies 300.0 330.0 303.2 289.9 280.0 444.0 Bioenergy Technologiesa 182.7 200.0 185.2 232.4 225.0 246.0 Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies 98.0 104.0 95.8 93.0 97.0 103.0 Renewable Energy 411.5 480.6 444.9 449.8 456.0 645.2 Solar Energy 263.5 290.0 269.1 257.2 233.0 336.7 Wind Energy 80.0 93.6 86.1 88.2 107.0 145.5 Water Power 30.0 59.0 54.7 58.6 61.0 67.0 Geothermal Technologies 38.0 38.0 35.0 45.8 55.0 96.0 580.4 494.0 535.4 617.8 642.0 1,029.6 Advanced Manufacturingb 108.2 116.0 114.3 180.6 200.0 404.0 Building Technologies 210.5 220.0 204.6 178.0 172.0 264.0 Federal Energy Management Program 30.4 30.0 28.3 28.3 27.0 43.1 Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programc 231.3 128.0 188.2 231.0 243.0 318.5 171.0 65.0 128.9 171.0 190.0 224.0 3.3 3.0 2.8 3.0 3.0 4.0 EERE, Total Energy Efficiency Weatherization Assistance Program Training and Technical FY2016 Request 21 Grid modernization is an initiative that will create tools and technologies that measure, analyze, predict, and control the grid of the future; focus on key policy questions related to regulatory practices, market designs, and business models; ensure the development of a secure and resilient grid; and collaborate with stakeholders to test and demonstrate combinations of promising new technologies. 22 Supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) is a technology-focused crosscutting initiative that will facilitate industry’s transition to realize power cycles based on sCO2 as the working fluid as opposed to current steam-based systems. 23 Subsurface engineering is an initiative to address identified challenges in the subsurface (i.e., underground) through highly focused and coordinated research in wellbore integrity, stress state and induced seismicity, permeability manipulation, and new subsurface signals to ensure enhanced energy security, material impact on climate change via carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration, and significantly mitigated environmental impacts from energy-related activities and operations. 24 The energy-water nexus is an integrated set of cross-program collaborations designed to accelerate the nation’s transition to more resilient energy and coupled energy-water systems. 25 The cybersecurity crosscut supports central coordination of the strategic and operational aspects of cybersecurity and facilitates cooperative efforts, such as the creation of the Joint Cybersecurity Coordination Center for incident response and the implementation of department-wide Identity Credential and Access Management. Congressional Research Service 5 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Assistance NREL Site-Wide Facility Report State Energy Program Grants 50.0 50.0 — — 0.4 50.0 50.0 70.1 — — 20.0 231.6 237.0 255.2 46.0 56.0 62.0 -81.6 -2.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 -10.4 -13.1 0.0 47.1 Local Technical Assistance Program Corporate Supportd NREL 253.0 216.4 11.7 26.4 Use of Prior-Year Balances Rescissions -30.0 -15.4 209.0 Sources: Department of Energy (DOE), FY2016 Budget Request, vol. 3, February 2015; H.Rept. 114-91; H.Rept. 113-486; DOE, FY2015 Budget Request vol. 3, March 2014 (to obtain the FY2013 appropriations that DOE identifies as FY2013 current, or the enacted amount plus or minus any adjustments made since the appropriations bill became law); H.Rept. 112-462; and H.Rept. 112-118. Notes: EERE = DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; NREL = National Renewable Energy Laboratory. a. Biomass & Biorefinery Systems Research and Development, renamed Bioenergy Technologies in FY2014. b. Industrial Technologies, renamed Advanced Manufacturing in FY2014. c. The Weatherization and Intragovernmental Program included $7 million for tribal energy activities for FY2011, $10 million for FY2012, and $9.4 million for FY2013. d. Corporate support includes facilities and infrastructure, program direction, and strategic programs. Energy and Energy Efficiency Spending: FY1948FY2014 The federal government has financially supported energy R&D for more than half a century.26 The focus of such support has varied over time. The energy crises of the 1970s spurred the federal government to expand its R&D programs to include renewable-energy and energy-efficiency technologies.27 In real (constant dollar) terms, federal R&D funding for the four main energy technologies (i.e., nuclear, fossil, renewables, energy efficiency) skyrocketed during the 1970s to a peak in FY1979. Afterward, funding dropped steadily, reaching a bottom around 1990. Since then, funding has increased gradually—with the exception of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5) providing a one-year spike mainly for grants. Figure 1 shows the relative shares of funding for the four types of energy technologies over three time periods: 67 years, 37 years, and 10 years. 26 More details about DOE—and earlier (pre-1978)—spending for R&D on energy technologies are available in CRS Report RS22858, Renewable Energy R&D Funding History: A Comparison with Funding for Nuclear Energy, Fossil Energy, and Energy Efficiency R&D, by Fred Sissine. 27 Some of the more critical crises that occurred during this period included the 1973 oil crisis and the 1979 energy crisis. Congressional Research Service 6 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Figure 1. Federal Energy Appropriations, FY1948-FY2014 Sources: DOE, Budget Authority History Table by Appropriation, May 2007; DOE congressional budget requests (several years); DOE (Pacific Northwest Laboratory), An Analysis of Federal Incentives Used to Stimulate Energy Production, 1980; DOE, Conservation and Renewable Energy Base Table, February 1990. Deflator Source: The Budget for Fiscal Year 2015, Historical Tables, Table 10.1. Note: The portion shown for nuclear energy includes funding for both nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. Congressional Action House The House passed an E&W appropriations measure, H.R. 2028, that would provide EERE with $1.7 billion for 2016, approximately $266 million below the FY2015 enacted level of $1.9 billion and approximately $1.1 billion below the DOE FY2016 budget request of $2.7 billion (see Table 2).28 Recommendations, exclusions, and other directives pertaining to how the FY2016 EERE 28 Seven amendments were accepted on the House floor related to EERE. Three of the amendments add funding to EERE appropriations (H.Amdt. 166, Amdt. 169, and H.Amdt. 170). Four of the amendments prohibit the use of funding for certain EERE initiatives (H.Amdt. 192, H.Amdt. 193, H.Amdt. 205, and H. Amdt, 195). Congressional Research Service 7 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) appropriations should be spent are in the Committee on Appropriations report for the 2016 E&W development appropriations bill.29 Some of the directives contained in the report are as follows:30         Encourages DOE to examine the feasibility of ultraconductive copper;31 Requests DOE to stop taking a small portion of annual funding from EERE technology offices to fund incubator programs;32 Provides zero funding for Advanced Vehicle Competitions33 and for the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Community Partner projects;34 Encourages DOE to work with the natural-gas industry on additional engines and emission-control technologies that obtain emission advantages when using natural gas in high-efficiency engines; Provides zero funding for the joint initiative with the Navy and USDA to develop commercial-diesel and jet-biofuel production capacity for defense purposes;35 Provides zero funding for the Scaling Up Nascent PV at Home (SUNPATH) III program;36 Supports an emphasis on offshore wind technologies that address the unique opportunities and issues across the nation’s waterways rather than those technologies currently being considered by the private sector; Supports the establishment of one new Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institutes and requests that all future budget justifications include a specific research topic associated with the institute being proposed for funding;37 29 H.Rept. 114-91. This is not an exhaustive list of all directives contained in the report. Additionally, there is no order of priority for the select directives mentioned. 31 The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) reports that ultraconductive copper is “an emerging materials technology that can potentially transform the energy sector because of its promises of enhanced electrical conductivity, higher strength and better thermal management characteristics.” Further, ORNL reports, “While U.S. researchers have been leading the effort in developing ultraconductive copper, the achievement gap is rapidly diminishing due to increasing activities from competitors worldwide.... In order not to be left behind, concerted efforts should be made and resources need to be provided to perform these priority research activities in the U.S.” ORNL, Priority Research Areas to Accelerate the Development of Practical Ultra-conductive Copper Conductors, ORNL/TM-2015/403, September 2015. 32 DOE reports that this practice started in FY2014 and that incubator programs “allow EERE to develop, assess, and screen new ‘off-roadmap’ technologies and solutions for their potential to be ‘on-ramped’ into future program plans, roadmaps, and project portfolios.” DOE, FY2016 Budget Request, vol. 3, February 2015, p. 10. 33 DOE reports that the Advanced Vehicle Competitions activity encourages university student engineers to participate in advanced technology development—helping to address the need for more highly trained engineers in advanced vehicle technologies to overcome barriers in the marketplace. DOE requested $2.5 million for the Advanced Vehicle Competitions, the same amount provided in FY2015. DOE, FY2016 Budget Request, vol. 3, February 2015, p. 44. 34 DOE reports that the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Community Partner project is a new “funding opportunity to accelerate widespread introduction and adoption of commercially-available advanced vehicle technologies to reduce U.S. dependence on petroleum, increase local fuel diversification, and catalyze adoption of clean transportation technologies.” DOE, FY2016 Budget Request, vol. 3, February 2015, pp. 23 and 45. 35 DOE is a partner in a collaborative effort with the Navy and the Department of Agriculture to develop innovative technologies for jet and diesel fuels. DOE received $45.0 million for the effort for FY2015. DOE requested $45.0 million for this effort in FY2016. DOE, FY2016 Budget Request, vol. 3, February 2015, p. 64. 36 DOE reports that the goal of the Scaling Up Nascent PV at Home (SUNPATH) program is to support the initial ramp up to pilot-scale manufacturing of innovative new manufacturing processes and tools, thus enabling U.S. industry to overcome a funding gap. DOE request $25.5 million for SUNPATH III for FY2016. DOE, FY2016 Budget Request, vol. 3, February 2015, p. 120. 30 Congressional Research Service 8 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)     Directs DOE to analyze the impact federal investment may have in strengthening the availability and usage of lithium; Directs DOE not to advocate, promote, or discourage the adoption or inclusion of a particular building energy code or code provision, other than the technical and economic analysis work required by statutory mandate, or to provide funding to private third parties or nongovernmental organizations that engage in such advocacy; Provides zero funding for competitive awards within the Weatherization Assistance Program to develop and test financing models to support energyefficiency retrofits;38 and Directs DOE to not promulgate regulations in FY2016 using the May 2013 estimates for the social cost of carbon.39 Executive Branch Response The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a statement announcing its opposition to the House passage of H.R. 2028.40 OMB reports that if the President were presented with H.R. 2028, his senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill. Moreover, the statement contains a section on the Administration’s opposition to the EERE portion of the bill: The proposed [EERE] reductions significantly underfund critical activities that support the development and commercialization of clean energy technologies. At this funding level, the number of research, development, and demonstration projects supported in cooperation with industry, universities, and the national labs would be reduced, limiting innovation and technological advancement, curtailing solutions to cut U.S. dependence on oil and reduce energy waste, and undermining the Nation’s industrial competitiveness in the future global clean energy economy. The Congress is urged to fully fund the FY 2016 Budget request of $2.7 billion. The Administration is also disappointed that the bill does not include transfer language necessary to support joint efforts with the Navy and the Department of Agriculture to develop advanced drop-in biofuels for military applications, a provision included in the FY 2015 enacted bill. (...continued) 37 See footnote 20. 38 DOE requests $15 million for this effort for FY2016. DOE, FY2016 Budget Request, vol. 3, February 2015, p. 270. 39 Interagency Working Group on Social Cost of Carbon, U.S. Government, Technical Support Document: Technical Update of the Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory Impact Analysis—Under Executive Order 12866, May 2013, Revised July 2015. 40 Office of Management and Budget, Statement of Administration Policy, H.R. 2028—Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016, April 28, 2015. Congressional Research Service 9 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Senate The Senate Committee on Appropriations reported H.R. 2028 with an amendment in the nature of a substitute for FY2016 E&W development appropriations. It would fund EERE at $1.95 billion, an approximate decrease of $26 million from the FY2015 enacted level of $1.92 billion and an approximate decrease of $773 million from the FY2016 budget request of $2.72 billion.41 Directives, exclusions, and more are provided in the committee report. Some of the directives contained in the report are as follows:42        Urges the Secretary to work with the natural-gas vehicle industry to identify needs and develop solutions for additional engines and emission-control technologies to obtain the emission advantages when using natural gas in highefficiency engines (consistent with the House bill);43 Provides no less than $20 million to support the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Community Partner projects and $2.5 million for the Advanced Vehicle Competitions (in contrast to the House bill); Provides $45 million for DOE to collaborate with the Navy and USDA on advanced biofuel production that meets military fuel specifications (in contrast to the House bill); Directs the Secretary to do more to consider biopower as a viable bioenergy technology (e.g., include biopower projects as eligible recipients for funding opportunities) (not mentioned by the House bill);44 Provides zero funding for the proposed Mitigate Market Barriers program (in contrast to the House bill);45 Provides funding to establish an additional Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute and directs that in future budget requests, the Secretary include the specific research topic to be associated with any proposed institutes (consistent with the House bill); and Directs DOE not to initiate any regulations in FY2016 using the May 2013 estimates for the social cost of carbon until a new working group is convened (consistent with the House bill).46 41 S.Rept. 114-54. This is not an exhaustive list of all directives contained in the report. Additionally, there is no order of priority for the select directives mentioned. 43 The Secretary referred to in this section refers to the Secretary of Energy. 44 For more information on biopower, see CRS Report R41440, Biopower: Background and Federal Support, by Kelsi Bracmort. 45 The House provides $10 million for the Mitigate Market Barriers program. DOE reports this new initiative would support the development and evaluation of advanced mitigation technologies that will help to better characterize and reduce potential impacts from wind power on eagles, to support industry in obtaining new permits required by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and to better understand and develop mitigation measures to address the impacts of wind on birds and bats to help enable the effective coexistence of sensitive wildlife with expanded wind deployment. DOE, FY2016 Budget Request, vol. 3, February 2015, p. 126. 46 DOE, FY2016 Budget Request, vol. 3, February 2015, p. 68. 42 Congressional Research Service 10 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Executive Branch Response OMB submitted a letter to the Senate Committee on Appropriations communicating its serious concerns with the E&W development appropriations bill for FY2016.47 OMB expressed its willingness to work with Congress to address the concerns mentioned in the letter. With regard to EERE, the letter states that [t]he bill reduces investment in the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by nearly $790 million, or 29 percent, compared with the President’s Budget. This significantly reduced level of funding would slash the number of research, development, and demonstration projects supported in cooperation with industry, universities, and the national labs—curtailing critical innovation and technological advancement in clean and renewable energy, as well as solutions to cut U.S. dependence on oil and reduce energy waste, all while also undermining the Nation’s industrial competitiveness in the future global clean energy economy. For example, the bill cuts the Wind Energy program by 68 percent from the President’s Budget and cuts funding for atmospheric modeling, advanced component manufacturing, grid integration, and avian species mitigation among other activities necessary to advance both on- and offshore wind. Table 2. EERE FY2015 Enacted Appropriations, FY2016 Request, FY2016 House Passage, and FY2016 Senate Appropriations Committee Passage (in millions) FY2015 Enacted EERE, Total FY2016 House FY2016 Senate Approp. Committee 1,923.9 2,723.0 1,657.8 1,950.0 Sustainable Transportation 602.0 793.0 514.8 614.0 Vehicle Technologies 280.0 444.0 255.4 292.0 Bioenergy Technologies 225.0 246.0 165.3 225.0 97.0 103.0 94.1 97.0 Renewable Energy 456.0 645.2 326.8 423.6 Solar Energy 233.0 336.7 151.6 241.6 Wind Energy 107.0 145.5 90.5 46.0 Water Power 61.0 67.0 38.7 65.0 Geothermal Technologies 55.0 96.0 46.0 71.0 642.0 1,029.6 617.6 669.4 Advanced Manufacturing 200.0 404.0 205.0 214.0 Building Technologies 172.0 264.0 150.4 178.0 27.0 43.1 18.8 27.0 243.0 318.5 243.4 250.4 Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Energy Efficiency Federal Energy Management Program Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program 47 FY2016 Request Office of Management and Budget, Letter to the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, June 2, 2015. Congressional Research Service 11 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Weatherization Assistance Program 190.0 224.0 190.0 197.0 Training and Technical Assistance 3.0 4.0 3.0 3.0 NREL Site-Wide Facility Report — 0.4 0.4 0.4 50.0 70.1 50.0 50.0 — 20.0 — — 237.0 255.2 218.0 243.0 NREL 56.0 62.0 56.0 62.0 Use of Prior Year Balances 0.0 0.0 -19.3 — -13.1 0.0 0.0 — State Energy Program Grants Local Technical Assistance Program Corporate Supporta Rescissions Source: DOE, FY2016 Budget Request, Vol. 3, February 2015; H.Rept. 114-91; S.Rept. 114-54. a. Corporate support includes facilities and infrastructure, program direction, and strategic programs. Author Contact Information Kelsi Bracmort Specialist in Agricultural Conservation and Natural Resources Policy kbracmort@crs.loc.gov, 7-7283 Congressional Research Service Fred Sissine Specialist in Energy Policy fsissine@crs.loc.gov, 7-7039 12 9 billion of discretionary funding plus an additional $1.3 billion of mandatory funding for a new program, bringing the total FY2017 budget request to $4.2 billion. The total $4.2 billion request is an increase of $2.2 billion (104%) from the enacted FY2016 level of $2.1 billion (the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016; H.R. 2029; P.L. 114-113, Division D). The $2.9 billion of discretionary funding requested is an increase of $829 million (40%) from the FY2016 enacted level of $2.1 billion. The bulk of the discretionary portion of the request would be split among three areas: nearly 32% for energy efficiency programs, about 21% for renewable energy programs, and about 29% for sustainable transportation programs. The discretionary funding portion of the EERE request is nearly 10% of the $30.2 billion discretionary portion of the FY2017 request for DOE.

The EERE budget request includes new and ongoing efforts that range in scale and cost. For instance, EERE would continue to support the following initiatives: the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge, concerning the adoption and use of plug-in electric vehicles; the SunShot Initiative to make solar energy cost-competitive by 2020; and the establishment of energy efficiency requirements for equipment and appliances, among other things. With the discretionary funding, EERE requests $40 million to establish a new research and development program focused on reducing the climate impacts of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Further, EERE requests $215 million for a new Crosscutting Innovation Initiatives program that has several goals, including the establishment of regionally focused clean energy innovation partnerships across the country and the acceleration of next-generation clean energy technology pathways.

A relatively significant new measure contained in the budget request is $1.3 billion in mandatory funding for EERE's involvement in the Administration's 21st Century Clean Transportation System—a new multiagency initiative to build a clean transportation system. Regarding this effort, EERE reports that it will "expand investment in transportation technologies of the future; establish regional fueling infrastructure to support the deployment of low-carbon fuels; and accelerate the transition to a cleaner vehicle fleet."

Some in Congress, along with renewable energy and energy efficiency proponents and opponents, and others may express concern about the EERE budget request. Particular areas of concern may be the 40% increase in requested discretionary funds, EERE involvement in the 21st Century Clean Transportation System, and the mandatory funding requested for this involvement, among other issues.

DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE): The FY2017 Budget Request

Introduction

This report discusses the FY2017 budget request for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The Administration requests both discretionary funding ($2.9 billion) and mandatory funding ($1.3 billion) for EERE for FY2017, for a total of $4.2 billion.1 The total $4.2 billion request is an increase of $2.2 billion (104%) from the enacted FY2016 level of $2.1 billion. The Administration's discretionary portion of the FY2017 request is 40% higher than the FY2016 enacted level ($2.1 billion).

The funding level Congress decides to provide could impact goals set by EERE, including sustainable transportation goals (e.g., vehicle electrification and biofuels), renewable energy goals (e.g., grid modernization for solar energy, enhanced geothermal technologies), and energy efficiency goals (e.g., establishment of one additional Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute). It also could affect EERE's involvement in the 21st Century Clean Transportation Plan and EERE assistance with industry competitiveness, among other things. This report does not discuss the opportunities, challenges, economic value, or commercial status of the various renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency initiatives selected by EERE, nor does it delve into the goals of the individual EERE programs or congressional oversight of certain EERE issues.2

Background EERE

EERE leads the DOE's effort to accelerate development and facilitate deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and market-based solutions intended to strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality. EERE is led by the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and it is organized into four offices: Office of Transportation, Office of Renewable Power, Office of Energy Efficiency, and Office of Operations.3 EERE reports that it invests in only what it considers to be the highest-impact activities. EERE collaborates with industry, academia, national laboratories, and others to develop technology-specific road maps and then focuses on early stage research and development (R&D), technology validation and risk-reduction activities, and the reduction of market barriers to the adoption of market-ready new technologies. EERE also manages a portfolio of programs that support state and local governments, tribes, and school leaders. In addition, EERE oversees the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)—the only national laboratory solely dedicated to researching and developing renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.4

FY2011-FY2016 Appropriations EERE receives its appropriations from the annual energy and water development (E&W) appropriations bill.5 For each of the last several years, DOE has requested increased funding to support EERE programs and objectives, and Congress's response has been to provide funding at levels lower than what was requested. Appropriations for EERE have averaged $1.86 billion annually for the last six years in current dollars (see Table 1). The appropriations are split into four major categories: sustainable transportation, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and corporate support (e.g., program administration). From FY2011 to FY2016, approximately two-thirds of the appropriations were split between sustainable transportation and energy efficiency, while close to a quarter of the appropriations were spent on renewable energy and approximately 12% was spent on corporate support. FY2017 Request

DOE has requested $4.2 billion to support EERE programs and objectives for FY2017 ($2.9 billion in discretionary funding and $1.3 billion in mandatory funding). The total $4.2 billion request is an increase of $2.2 billion (104%) from the enacted FY2016 level of $2.1 billion.

Discretionary Portion of Request The discretionary portion of the request, $2.9 billion, is an increase of $829 million (40%) from the FY2016 enacted level of $2.1 billion (see Table 1).6 The discretionary portion of the EERE FY2017 request is approximately 10% of the discretionary portion of the overall DOE FY2017 request of $30.2 billion.7 The FY2017 EERE request would allocate approximately 61% of the appropriations to sustainable transportation and energy efficiency, combined. However, energy efficiency would receive slightly less in its share of the two categories combined than it did in FY2016 (32% in the FY2017 request, as compared with 35% in FY2016). The FY2017 request allocates close to 21% and 10% of the request for renewable energy and corporate support, respectively.

Some of the goals, highlights, and major changes presented in the EERE FY2017 request, as reported by DOE, include the following:

  • Sustainable Transportation [$852.9 million]
  • Continues support for the Electric Vehicle (EV) Everywhere Grand Challenge by reducing the combined battery and electric drive system costs of a plug-in electric vehicle by up to 50% (by 2022, from a 2012 baseline).8 [$282.7 million]
  • Continues support for the SuperTruck II initiative started in FY2016 to research, develop, and demonstrate a suite of technologies with the goal of improving the freight-hauling efficiency of heavy-duty Class 8 long-haul vehicles by 100% by 2020 (with respect to comparable 2009 vehicles) and demonstrating applicability of these technologies to heavy-duty regional-haul vehicles as well.9 [$60 million]
  • Explore opportunities for energy efficiency above the program's traditional vehicle-level focus at the overall transportation system level with the Transportation as a System (TAS) initiative by evaluating how transportation assets, travelers, and the transportation system interact and influence each other using multiscale, multisystem models, with the longer-term goal of optimizing efficiency of the transportation system. [$20 million]10
  • Support the conversion of cellulosic and algal-based feedstocks to bio-based gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel at a target cost of $3.00 per gallon of gasoline equivalent (gge) by the end of 2017, with an emphasis on drop-in hydrocarbon biofuels from nonfood sources.11 [$30 million for the Advanced Algal Systems subprogram]
  • Develop a Synthetic Biology Foundry to improve efficiencies in the conversion of biomass to fuels and products.12 [$35 million]
  • Support reduced cost and increased durability of a fuel cell system and invest in R&D for technologies that can lower the cost of hydrogen from renewable resources to less than $4.00/gge by 2020.13 [$35 million for fuel cell R&D; $44.5 million for hydrogen fuel R&D]
  • Renewable Energy [$620.6 million]
  • Support the SunShot Initiative goal of making solar power cost-competitive without subsidies by 2020, equivalent to a cost of solar power of $0.06 per kilowatt-hour, and support solar grid integration.14 [$43 million for concentrating solar power; $83 million for systems integration]
  • Issue a competitive solicitation to establish an Offshore Wind R&D Consortium to accelerate fundamental R&D for offshore wind-specific technology barriers.15 [$25 million]
  • Competitively fund new R&D projects for new stream reach development for innovative hydropower designs and construction methods.16 [$7.8 million]
  • Commence procurement and construction for the critical infrastructure needed for an open-water, fully energetic, grid-connected wave energy test facility to assist with the development of marine and hydrokinetic technologies.17 [$20 million]
  • Support research, development, and demonstration activities for a hydrothermal subprogram subsurface initiative focusing on technologies that provide for effective, adaptive, and safe control of fractures and fluid flow.18 [$33 million]
  • Energy Efficiency [$919 million]
  • Establish one additional Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CEMI) [$14 million] and continue support for five existing CEMIs [$70 million].19
  • Continue to support activities that assist and enable federal agencies to meet aggressive energy, water, greenhouse gas, and other sustainability goals.
  • Establish a Low-Global Warming Potential (Low-GWP) Advanced Cooling (HVAC) R&D funding opportunity announcement for advanced cooling and heating technologies.20 [$40 million]
  • Create a Metropolitan Systems initiative that enables the use of historic and real-time, data-driven tools to support the design and development of low-energy, resilient infrastructure that will help U.S. cities meet their climate and energy targets.21 [$15 million]
  • Support appliance and equipment standards.22
  • Provide access to home weatherization services for low-income households across the country to reduce their income spent on energy.23
  • Establish the Cities, Counties, and Communities Energy Program (3C Energy Program) to provide technical assistance and competitively awarded funds to catalyze more extensive clean energy solutions in community development and revitalization efforts.24 [$26 million]

Other EERE initiatives include technology-to-market activities (e.g., National Incubator Initiative for Clean Energy) and international activities (e.g., expanding the number of Chinese cities using DOE's low-carbon planning tools and conducting demonstration projects featuring low-carbon technologies from U.S. companies). Additionally, EERE would establish a new crosscutting innovation initiative program introduced as a separate line item in the EERE budget table. The program would focus on providing funding for research, development, and demonstration activities, with the goal of strengthening regional clean energy innovation ecosystems, accelerating next-generation clean energy technology pathways, and encouraging clean energy innovation and commercialization collaborations between the National Laboratories and American entrepreneurs.25 Approximately 51% of the $215 million requested for the crosscutting innovation initiative would be spent on regional energy innovation partnerships.26

21st Century Clean Transportation Program

A multiagency effort to be funded at $320 billion over 10 years, the 21st Century Clean Transportation program aims to be a key step in "making smart and strategic investments to create a cleaner, more sustainable transportation system," according to the Administration.27 The program is to be funded by both a new fee paid by oil companies—a $10 per barrel fee on oil gradually phased in over five years—and "one-time revenues from pro-growth business tax reform."28 The Administration states that some benefits of the proposed plan include carbon pollution reduction, economic strengthening, and transportation expansion.

The EERE FY2017 budget request includes $1.3 billion of mandatory funding to support the program. More than half, approximately 56%, of the funding would be spent on deployment of low-carbon fueling infrastructure. DOE reports that EERE will seek to support this effort with $11.3 billion over 10 years.29 EERE participation in the program includes the following activities.30

  • Develop regional low-carbon fueling infrastructure, including charging stations for electric vehicles, biofuels, hydrogen, and other low-carbon options in partnership with others that take into account the unique economies, resources, and development needs of different regions. [$750 million]
  • Conduct R&D to accelerate cutting the cost of battery technology and establish public-private partnerships to achieve lowest carbon end-to-end intermodal transport for freight and fleets. [$200 million]
  • Establish a smart mobility research center that will investigate the intersection of information and communication technologies, vehicle technologies, low carbon fuels, and disruptive transportation business models with the goal of reducing overall system level greenhouse gas emissions and petroleum consumption. [$200 million]
  • Conduct R&D that focuses on transformational developments that address technical barriers in biofuel feedstock logistics, lower conversion costs, enhanced economics of biofuel production by focusing on high value coproducts, and the certification of new fuel pathways. [$100 million]
  • Accelerate the transition to a cleaner vehicle fleet by issuing challenge grants to encourage cleaner state, tribal, and local government vehicle fleets. [$85 million]
Legislative Issues The Administration is requesting significantly more funding for EERE compared to the FY2016 enacted appropriations—at least an $829 million increase, and possibly a $2.1 billion increase if the mandatory funding request is taken into account. The funding requested would support numerous programs and activities that could have various impacts. The $1.3 billion in mandatory funding requested to support the 21st Century Clean Transportation Plan is part of a multiagency effort that depends on the enactment of a new revenue source. It could be a significant undertaking for EERE to implement the clean transportation plan's activities in addition to current responsibilities given that the funding for the plan is 64% of the FY2016 EERE enacted appropriations. In addition, it is possible that the plan may involve efforts previously dismissed by Congress. For instance, EERE states that it will use the mandatory funding, in part, to "establish regional fueling infrastructure to support the deployment of low-carbon fuels." If EERE considers blender pumps to be a part of this infrastructure, Congress rejected this effort with the 2014 farm bill (P.L. 113-79) by forbidding the use of Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP) funds to support blender pump installation.31 Congress may want to examine what impact such a program may have on clean transportation expansion, clean energy sources, or conventional energy sources; how quickly such a program may be implemented; and how effective such a program would be given its scope and that multiple participants—government and others, with various objectives—need to be involved to achieve the proposed outcomes. Table 1. EERE FY2011-FY2016 Enacted Appropriations and FY2017 Budget Request

(in millions of current dollars)

 

FY2011Enacted FY2012Enacted FY2013Current FY2014Enacted FY2015Enacted FY2016Enacted FY2017Request

EERE, Total [Discretionary Funding]

1,795.6

1,809.6

1,691.8

1,901.7

1,914.2

2,069.2

2,898.4

Sustainable Transportation

580.7

634.0

 584.2

615.3

602.0

636.0

852.9

Vehicle Technologies

300.0

330.0

303.2

289.9

280.0

310.0

468.5
Bioenergy Technologiesa

182.7

200.0

185.2

232.4

225.0

225.0

278.9

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies

98.0

104.0

95.8

93.0

97.0

101.0

105.5

Renewable Energy

411.5

480.6

 444.9

449.8

456.0

478.1

620.6

Solar Energy

263.5

290.0

269.1

257.2

233.0

241.6

285.1

Wind Energy

80.0

93.6

86.1

88.2

107.0

95.5

156.0

Water Power

30.0

59.0

54.7

58.6

61.0

70.0

80.0

Geothermal Technologies

38.0

38.0

35.0

45.8

55.0

71.0

99.5

Energy Efficiency

580.4

494.0

 535.4

617.8

642.0

721.0

919.0
Advanced Manufacturingb

108.2

116.0

114.3

180.6

200.0

228.5

261.0

Building Technologies

210.5

220.0

204.6

178.0

172.0

200.5

289.0

Federal Energy Management Program

30.4

30.0

28.3

28.3

27.0

27.0

43.0
Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programc

231.3

128.0

188.2

231.0

243.0

265.0

326.0

Weatherization Assistance Program

171.0

65.0

128.9

171.0

189.6

211.6

225.0

Training and Technical Assistance

3.3

3.0

2.8

3.0

3.0

3.0

5.0

NREL Site-Wide Facility Report

 

 

 

—

0.4

0.4

0.0

State Energy Program Grants

50.0

50.0

47.1

50.0

50.0

50

70.0

Local Technical Assistance Program

 

 

 

—

—
 

 

Croscutting Innovation Initatives

 

 

 

 

 

0.0

215.0
Corporate Supportd

253.0

216.4

 209.0

231.6

237.0

238.0

290.9

Facilities and Infrastructure

11.7

26.4
 

46.0

56.0

62.0

92.0

Use of Prior-Year Balances

 

 

-81.6

-2.4

0.0

0.0

0.0

Rescissions

-30.0

-15.4

 0.0

-10.4

-22.8

-3.8

0.0

EERE, Total [Mandatory Funding]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21st Century Clean Transportation Plan Investments

 

 

 

 

 

0.0

1,335.0

EERE, Total [Discretionary + Mandatory Funding]

 

 

 

 

 

2,069.2

4,233.4
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy, FY2017 Congressional Budget Request, vol. 3 (February 2016); P.L. 114-113 Division D; H.Rept. 114-91; H.Rept. 113-486; DOE, FY2015 Budget Request vol. 3 (March 2014) (to obtain the FY2013 appropriations that DOE identifies as FY2013 current, or the enacted amount plus or minus any adjustments made since the appropriations bill became law); H.Rept. 112-462; and H.Rept. 112-118.

Notes: EERE = DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; NREL = National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

a. Biomass & Biorefinery Systems Research and Development, renamed Bioenergy Technologies in FY2014. b. Industrial Technologies, renamed Advanced Manufacturing in FY2014. c. The Weatherization and Intragovernmental Program included $7 million for tribal energy activities for FY2011, $10 million for FY2012, and $9.4 million for FY2013. d. Corporate support includes facilities and infrastructure, program direction, and strategic programs.

Author Contact Information

[author name scrubbed], Specialist in Agricultural Conservation and Natural Resources Policy ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])

Footnotes

1.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), FY2017 Congressional Budget Request, vol. 3 (February 2016).

2.

For more information on clean energy, energy efficiency, and EERE programs, see CRS Report R44004, DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: FY2016 Appropriations, by [author name scrubbed]; CRS Report R40913, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Incentives: A Summary of Federal Programs, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]; CRS Report RS22858, Renewable Energy R&D Funding History: A Comparison with Funding for Nuclear Energy, Fossil Energy, and Energy Efficiency R&D, by [author name scrubbed]; and CRS Report R42147, DOE Weatherization Program: A Review of Funding, Performance, and Cost-Effectiveness Studies, by [author name scrubbed].

3.

DOE was established under the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 (P.L. 95-91). Section 203 of the act identifies eight assistant secretary positions and the functions they are to cover. EERE Organization Chart, February 12, 2016.

4.

There are other national laboratories that conduct energy efficiency and renewable energy work, such as Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

5.

The E&W appropriations bill has funded all DOE offices and programs since 2005. Prior to 2005, DOE received its appropriations from both the E&W appropriations bill and the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriation bill.

6.

DOE, FY2017 Congressional Budget Request, vol. 3 (February 2016).

7.

The FY2017 total discretionary funding request for DOE is $30.2 billion and the mandatory portion is $2.3 billion, for a total of $32.5 billion. DOE, FY2017 Summary Control Table by Appropriation, February 2016.

8.

The EV Everywhere Grand Challenge is a DOE-wide initiative that seeks to enable the United States to produce a wide array of plug-in electric vehicle models, including plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles, that are as affordable and convenient as gasoline-powered vehicles by 2022.

9.

This initiative follows the initial SuperTruck program established in 2009 with a challenge by DOE to truck manufacturers and suppliers to improve freight efficiency by 50% compared to a baseline vehicle, among other things.

10.

DOE reports that "There is no program within DOE's transportation portfolio directly exploiting these opportunities." DOE, FY2017 Congressional Budget Request, vol. 3 (February 2016), p. 20.

11.

Drop-in biofuels are generally described as biofuels that are indistinguishable from conventional petroleum-based fuels that may be used with existing infrastructure with no changes. Funding proposed to be used for cellulosic conversion efforts is not provided as a separate line item in the DOE budget request. For more information on the Advanced Algal Systems subprogram, see Ibid., p. 58.

12.

Ibid., pp. 51 and 60.

13. A fuel cell uses the chemical energy of hydrogen or another fuel to cleanly and efficiently produce electricity. Ibid., p.71. 14. Established in 2011, the SunShot Initiative conducts research, manufacturing, and marketing to make solar energy resources in the United States more affordable and accessible. Ibid., pp. 102 and 107. 15.

Ibid., p. 130.

16.

New stream reach development is hydropower development on U.S. stream segments that do not currently have hydroelectric facilities. For more information, see DOE, New Stream-reach Development: A Comprehensive Assessment of Hydropower Energy Potential in the United States, April 2014; DOE, FY2017 Congressional Budget Request, vol. 3 (February 2016), p. 159.

17.

U.S. Department of Energy, FY2017 Congressional Budget Request, vol. 3 (February 2016), p. 163.

18.

Ibid., p. 181.

19.

DOE reports that the specific technical topic for the additional Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute will come from the advanced manufacturing challenges identified on page 185 of the 2015 DOE Quadrennial Technology Review. Ibid., p. 200.

20.

Ibid., p. 223.

21.

Ibid., p. 240.

22.

Ibid., p. 242.

23.

Weatherization services include a wide variety of energy efficiency measures that encompass the building envelope, its heating and cooling systems, its electrical system, and electricity-consuming appliances (e.g., installing insulation, sealing ducts). Ibid., p. 251.

24.

Ibid., p. 260.

25.

Ibid., p. 295.

26.

DOE reports the regional clean energy innovation partnerships will "fund RD&D to address clean energy challenges specific to regional energy resources, customer needs and innovation capabilities of various regions of the country." Ibid., p. 299.

27.

The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, "FACT SHEET: President Obama's 21st Century Clean Transportation System," press release, February 4, 2016. Other agencies that have requested funding for the Clean Transportation Plan include the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

28.

Ibid.

29.

U.S. Department of Energy, "FY2017 Department of Energy Budget Request Fact Sheet," February 2016.

30.

U.S. Department of Energy, FY2017 Congressional Budget Request, vol. 3 (February 2016), p. 310.

31.

Blender pumps are fuel dispensers that draw fuel from two separate storage tanks and can dispense preprogrammed blends of those two fuels. For more information, see CRS Insight IN10361, USDA Blender Pump Initiative to Expand Availability of Higher-Level Ethanol Blends, by [author name scrubbed].