Ominbus Spending Bill Boosts Energy Efficiency Programs
Originally published by: American Chemistry Council — March 27, 2018
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Congressional lawmakers passed a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill that was signed into on Friday, March 23. The spending plan will fund the government until September 30. The omnibus will increase the Department of Energy's (DOE) budget to $34.5 billion (almost $4 billion more than FY 17). This includes additional funds to the following programs:
The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office (EERE) will see a $300 million increase to $2.3 billion. Below are the funding levels for programs of interest:
- The Building Technology Office will see funding levels at $221 million ($21 million more than FY 17).
- Emerging Technologies (ET) – $90 million
- Residential Buildings Integration (RBI) – $50 million
- Commercial Building Integration (CBI) – $32 million
- Efficiency Standards, Building Codes, and Test Procedures – $23 million
The Weatherization and Intergovernmental Activities will see funding levels at $306 million ($28 million more than FY 17).
- Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) – $251 million ($26 million more than FY 17)
- State Energy Program (SEP) – $55 million ($5 million more than FY 17)
The Energy Information Administration will see funding levels at $125 million ($3 million more than FY 17).
The Federal Energy Management Program will see funding levels at $27 million (same as FY 17).
DOE's national laboratories will likely see an increase as the Office of Science would see its budget grow by $869 million for a total of $6.26 billion
Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) will be funded at $353 million even the Trump Administration has pushed to cut the program completely.