DOE Budget Details: $3.2B for Renewables, Efficiency
DOE Supercomputer Designs Efficient Big Trucks
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DOE Requests $3.2 Billion for Renewable Energy, Efficiency in FY 2012
On February 14, President Obama unveiled a $29.5 billion budget request for DOE covering fiscal year (FY) 2012, including $3.2 billion for DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The proposed budget aims to strengthen renewable energy sources, boost clean energy research, and cut expenses.
Overall, the DOE budget would grow 12% over 2010 levels while cutting a number of programs and administrative costs (We use FY 2010 numbers as a comparison because Congress didn't pass a FY 2011 budget - the federal government is running on a stopgap budget resolution reflecting 2010 levels).
DOE is requesting a 44% increase over EERE's current appropriation of $2.2 billion. Boosts for EERE programs include:
- 135% more for geothermal technology
- 115% more for building technologies
- 93% more for vehicle technologies
- 88% more for solar energy.
- 61% more for wind
- 57% more for biomass energy
- 52% more for weatherization
It also calls for:
- $550 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to continue supporting early-stage clean energy research projects.
- $146 million for 3 existing energy innovation hubs-and three new ones focused on batteries and energy storage, smart grid technologies, and critical materials
- $100 million to continue 46 "energy frontier research centers" begun in 2009.
- $300 million in credit subsidies to support $3-4 billion in renewable energy and energy efficient projects
- The budget for DOE's Office of Science would be doubled to $5.4 billion, with $2 billion going toward basic energy sciences to discover new ways to produce, store, and use energy.
- $580 million for advanced vehicles R&D, a competitive grant program to support deployment in communities across the country, and to enhance the existing electric vehicle tax incentive.
It includes funding for public/ private partnerships under the new Better Buildings Initiative and launches DOE's "Race to Green" grant competition and a pilot program to provide retrofit loan guarantees for universities and hospitals.
Areas proposed for reductions: EERE funding for hydrogen technology would be reduced over 40% ($70 million) as DOE focuses on large scale technologies deployable in the near term. Water power funding would drop 21%.
Overall, the budget would save $3.6 billion from repealing subsidies and tax preferences for fossil fuels. DOE also plans to pare the cost of its corporate management by nearly 13% ($45 million). See the DOE press release, the White House Office of Management and Budget DOE overview , and Energy Secretary Steven Chu's budget summary.
DOE Supercomputer Helps Design More Efficient Big Rig Trucks
DOE continues to use supercomputers to help push the envelope of energy efficiency.
BMI Corp, in partnership with DOE's Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL), has developed a technology that will make semi-trucks more fuel-efficient. By using ORNL's Cray XT-5 "Jaguar" supercomputer, BMI has shortened the computing turnaround time for its complex models from days to a few hours, enabling it to design a set of integrated aerodynamic fairings that improve the aerodynamics of 18-wheeler long-haul trucks. The typical big rig can achieve fuel savings between 7-12% using these systems. BMI's work was supported by the DOE's Office of Science. See the DOE press release.
