Funding for ARPA-E, which is considered to be key to advancing clean energy technology creation and development, would be slashed by about $28 million. Indeed, the White House had actually proposed eliminating ARPA-E in their budget proposal for fiscal year 2019. However, the legislation will simultaneously increase funding for federal energy storage programmes.
“This committee continues to miss opportunities to speed up the country's transition to clean energy” said Rob Cowin, director of climate and energy government affairs at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “The bill cuts the nation's flagship clean energy research and development program, ARPA-E, which helps develop game-changing energy technologies and fills a critical gap in private sector investments. By reducing support for these kinds of programmes, the U.S. is ceding leadership on clean energy and technological innovation to countries like China, which is investing in these technologies. You would think US lawmakers would want to promote economic growth by capitalising on the expanding global market for clean energy technologies”.
Cowin added that the legislation exposes tensions in ideologies between Congress and the White House, with the appropriators increasing support for federal energy storage research, approving nearly $10 million in additional funding over the level set in the fiscal year 2018 omnibus bill. These energy storage systems will enable excess wind and solar energy to be stored for use at later times when the sun is not shining and the wind not blowing, making them more competitive with fossil fuel-based energy sources.
The committee took the unusual step of rejecting the administration’s extreme approach, noted Mr Cowin. The administration wanted the Energy Department to focus solely on early stage, non-applied research, but the committee was smart enough to recognise the need for applied research and development of emerging technologies throughout the energy innovation ecosystem.
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