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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have announced details of their fiscal year 2010 budget plans that focus on creating new "green" jobs, a clean energy economy, and a "green" environment.
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the fiscal year 2010 budget request for the Department of Energy, which highlights the Obama administration's commitment to provide reliable, clean, safe, and secure energy; to create new jobs, and fight climate change. The budget makes important investments in energy independence and job creation, but it also cuts back on programs that don't work as well or are no longer needed, says Chu.
The DOE's $38.7 billion budget, as part of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will expand the use of clean, renewable energy sources while improving the energy transmission infrastructure, and support the administration's goal to develop a secure and smart grid.
Other programs include significant investments in low-emissions plug-in and hybrid vehicles, nuclear energy, and clean coal technologies as part of the Obama Administration's effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
DOE budget highlights include:
- $475 million for a variety of renewable sources of electrical generation such as solar, wind, and geothermal
- $671 million to accelerate the deployment of clean and rapidly deployable energy conservation measures to reduce energy consumption
- $238 million for the Building technology program
- $75 million for State Energy Program grants
- $220 million for weatherization assistance
- $174 million to invest in research and development for a smart electrical grid
- $333 million to develop lithium-ion batteries, plug-in hybrids, drive-train electrification, as well as test new fuels blends
- $20 million for administrative costs to help enable the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Program
- $180 million for carbon capture and sequestration research, development and deployment
- $383 million for research and development of advanced nuclear technology and fuel cycle technologies
- $133 million for the Energy Information Administration (EIA) to improve energy data and analysis programs
- $115 million for a K-20+ science and engineering initiative
Expanding on the investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the EPA's $10.5 billion budget allows the agency to provide real solutions to the economic crisis, and make significant strides to ensure that air, land and water are safe and clean, says EPA administrator Lisa P. Jackson.
EPA budget highlights include:
- $3.9 billion for maintaining and improving the clean water infrastructure
- $475 million for the multi-agency Great Lakes Initiative to protect and clean up the largest fresh water lakes in the world, and funding to protect, maintain, and restore the Chesapeake Bay, Anacostia River, Puget Sound, San Francisco Bay, Lake Champlain and other large waterbodies
- $17 million greenhouse gas (GHG) registry investment
- $2 million for the EPA to reduce its own GHG emissions by 3 percent each year
- $1.3 billion to increase the number of hazardous waste sites ready for anticipated use and fund ongoing site cleanups
- $175 million for the Brownfields program to provide additional assessment, clean-up and job-training grants
- $128 million for the Leaking Underground Storage Tank and Underground Storage Tank programs
- $18 million for the Oil Spill Response program
- $55 million for an enhanced toxics program to screen, assess and reduce chemical risks
- $842 million for science and technology
- $600 million for EPA's Enforcement and Compliance Assurance program
- $1.1 billion for environmental program grants to states and tribes
