First Information on FY 2012 Senate Appropriations Bill for the Department of Energy

Yesterday the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, chaired by Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), approved its version of the FY 2012 bill funding the Department of Energy.

The subcommittee has released only a summary of the bill’s funding levels. More detail will be included in a report from the Senate Appropriations Committee after it approves the $31.625 billion bill. In describing this legislation, the release states: “The bill provides critical investments that will help develop clean and alternative energy sources, and protect the nation from nuclear terrorism.” The House passed its version of this legislation on July 15.

Here is what is now known (note – Senate numbers were rounded to the nearest million):

Office of Science

The FY 2011 appropriation was $4,842.7 million The FY 2012 Administration request was 5,416.1 million The House-passed bill provides $4,800.0 million, a decrease of 0.9 percent or $42.7 million as compared to the current budget.

The Senate Appropriations subcommittee’s bill recommends $4,843 million, essentially level funding. The release states that this funding is “to focus on breakthroughs in energy applications and develop the next-generation high performance computing systems.”

Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy

The FY 2011 appropriation was $179.6 million The FY 2012 Administration request was $550.0 million The FY 2012 House Appropriations Committee’s bill recommended $100.0 million. As a result of an amendment offered on the House floor, the House-passed bill provides $179.6 million, which would maintain the current level of funding.

The Senate Appropriations subcommittee bill recommends $250 million, an increase of 39.1 percent or $70.4 million, “to develop high-risk, but promising energy technologies.”

National Nuclear Security Administration: Weapons Activities

The FY 2011 appropriation was $6,896.4 million The FY 2012 Administration request was $7,589.4 million The House-passed bill provides $7,091.7 million, an increase of 2.8 percent or $195.3 million.

The Senate Appropriations subcommittee’s bill recommends $7,190 million, an increase of 4.3 percent or $293.6 million.

National Nuclear Security Administration: Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation

The FY 2011 appropriation was $2,273.7 million The FY 2012 Administration request was $2,519.5 million The House-passed bill provides recommends $2,056.8 million, a decrease of 9.5 percent or $216.9 million.

The Senate Appropriations subcommittee’s bill recommends $2,383 million, an increase of 4.8 percent or $109.3 million.