Department of Energy

The agency's total FY 2002 budget request of $19.2 billion reflects a drop of 2.3 percent. The DOE science budget would increase to $3.16 billion, representing an increase of one-tenth of one percent. Shifts within the R&D budget reflect the President's priorities in fossil fuel research: $150 million in new matching federal funds will support the Clean Coal Power Initiative. Funding for Biological and Environmental Research, on the other hand, falls by more than eight percent. Energy Conservation research drops 46.3 percent over FY 2001 and funding for Renewable Energy Resources would drop by 36.4 percent, although the Administration has committed to introduce a budget amendment adding $39 million for hydrogen related research and restoring 9 percent of the FY 2001 energy conservation research funding level. An additional $1.2 billion in FY 2004 funding for alternative energy development is promised contingent on royalties from oil and gas drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge.

Compared to the FY 2001 appropriation, the Administration has requested 41 percent less funding for the Industry sector of the Energy Conservation office, which houses the Office of Industrial Technologies. Specific programs affected include:

• Industries of the Future -- Specific Industries: $46.4 million (cut of $26 million from FY 2001), the cut would be absorbed by all but the Forest Products and Agriculture programs. The Petroleum and Supporting Industries elements of the Industries of the Future, which accounted for $4.4 million in FY 2001, would be eliminated altogether.
• Industries of the Future -- Crosscutting $ 31.9 million (cut of $29.8 million from FY 2001) -- eliminating new project funding. This includes $5.1 million combined for the Inventions and Innovations Program or NICE3 programs (the programs received $6 million in FY 2001).
• Cooperative Programs with States -- eliminated ($2.0 million in FY 2001)
• Energy Efficiency Science Initiative -- eliminated ($3.9 million in FY 2001)