Comments of ACEEE’s William Prindle, Deputy Director, on Funding Recommendations for the Department of Energy’s FY 2004 Energy Efficiency Budget

Comments to the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee

DOE’s FY 2004 budget request reflects a disturbing decline in support for important energy efficiency research, development, and deployment programs. Cuts in the FY 2003 and FY 2004 budgets are starving a host of technologies and programs that can deliver important results. With energy security concerns heightened by war in the Middle East, energy prices on the rise, and pressing environmental problems, now is the time to accelerate, not throttle back, on clean energy funding. DOE’s efficiency funding remains far short of the levels recommended by independent review panels such as the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. ACEEE recommends that the Subcommittee fund energy efficiency programs at least at the FY 2002 level of $913 million.

Within the overall funding picture, we recommend that the subcommittee increase funding for 13 high-priority programs for a total of $54.4 million above the Administration’s request. For the most part, these amounts partly or fully restore funding cuts in these key programs relative to FY2002 or FY2003 appropriations. These additions can be fully offset by moderating the increase in funding proposed for grants programs. Our analyses of high-priority programs meriting increased support are described below.