Biden’s Budget Requests $48.2 Billion for Energy Department Initiatives

The Biden Administration on March 28, 2022 forwarded to Congress the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. The proposed budget for the Department of Energy includes funds to tackle climate change through the enhanced implementation of clean energy, restructuring the U.S. energy portfolio to enhance the nation’s energy independence, and invest in metropolitan and rural communities that have been unduly impacted by climate change but unnoticed in the clean energy shift.

The proposed budget reinforces the U.S. dedication to protecting their national security, cleaning up leftover pollution from past nuclear actions and transitioning the nation towards cleaner energy. The proposal aims to assist the shift to clean energy and support the nation’s energy independence, on its journey towards a net zero future.

To improve energy affordability and resilience, the budget request includes $502 million investment, which would be dedicated to weatherize a minimum of 50,000 homes through the Weatherization Assistance Program.  Furthermore, another $105 million would be used for Energy Future Grants that will aid states in establishing more reliable and affordable clean energy systems.

The proposal requests $200 million to strengthen the U.S. supply chain for solar energy technologies through a new Solar Manufacturing Accelerator. Moreover, the recently established Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains would be given $27 million and would overall receive $1 billion in new obligatory funding to construct robust supply chains for clean energy equipment with affiliated nations.

The budget request includes investments in multiple initiatives aimed to expand energy security and build U.S. technology leadership by reducing dependence on fossil fuels. These include $4 billion for DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to fasten the research, expansion, demonstration, and usage of technologies and solutions to reduce energy costs through low-cost clean energy resources. A historic investment of $7.8 billion would be allotted to the Office of Science to support research at the National Laboratories and universities to fast track innovative technologies for clean energy solutions to combat climate change.

To increase U.S. security, the budget requests $21.4 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration for essential investments to maintain a safe, protected, and effective nuclear weapons supply by updating nuclear security infrastructure; to revive American leadership in arms control.