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FEDERALhearing transcript
High Impact

Senate Hearing on 2018 Department of Energy Budget

Original title: ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018

January 1, 2017

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The Frame

What this does

The committee is deciding how to allocate federal funding for energy research, nuclear security, and environmental management, which directly impacts the operational budgets of national laboratories and the future of energy-related technology programs.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Department of Energy

The department's operational budget and program priorities are subject to the outcome of these appropriations hearings.

National Laboratories

These facilities face potential funding reductions through the proposed cuts to the Office of Science.

ARPA-E

The agency is proposed for termination in the 2018 budget request.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2017.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The Senate Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development held a hearing to review the Department of Energy's proposed $28 billion budget for fiscal year 2018. The proposal includes significant funding reductions for research programs, renewable energy, and national laboratories compared to the previous year.

Key Facts

  • The proposed FY 2018 budget for the Department of Energy is approximately $28 billion.
  • The proposed budget is $2.9 billion lower than the FY 2017 enacted budget.
  • The administration proposes terminating ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy).
  • The budget proposes reducing the Office of Science funding by over $919 million.
  • The budget proposes reducing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy funding by $1.45 billion.
  • The budget proposes reducing nuclear energy funding by $310 million.
  • The budget proposes reducing the Office of Electricity funding by $110 million.
  • The budget proposes a $1 billion increase for modernizing the nuclear weapons stockpile.
  • The subcommittee is operating under Budget Control Act spending caps.
  • Non-defense spending in the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill may face a 2% reduction.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the total budget requested for the Department of Energy in 2018?
The administration requested approximately $28 billion.
Does the proposed budget increase or decrease funding compared to 2017?
The proposed budget is a decrease of approximately $2.9 billion compared to the 2017 levels.
What major programs are facing potential funding cuts?
The budget proposes terminating and reducing funding for the Office of Science, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, nuclear energy, and the Office of Electricity.

Why It Matters

The committee is deciding how to allocate federal funding for energy research, nuclear security, and environmental management, which directly impacts the operational budgets of national laboratories and the future of energy-related technology programs.

News Coverage

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Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Shift from Research to Defense

The budget proposal reflects a clear prioritization of nuclear weapons modernization over energy research and development programs.

Connected Entities

organizationDepartment of EnergyFederal department under reviewMap →
organizationARPA-EAdvanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, proposed for terminationMap →
personLamar AlexanderChairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water DevelopmentMap →
personRick PerrySecretary of the Department of EnergyMap →
personDianne FeinsteinRanking member of the subcommitteeMap →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy60
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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