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U.S.
Senator Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs
Committees |
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For Immediate
Release Wednesday, February 6, 2008 |
CONTACT:Stephanie Valencia – 202-228-3630 |
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| Sen. Salazar: “Room for Improvement in FY 2009 Energy Budget” WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee heard from Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman evaluating the Fiscal Year 2009 Energy Budget. In his opening statement, Senator Salazar highlighted some of the positive points in the Energy budget and some of the initiatives he believes need to be strengthened. “There are a handful of good things about this budget and there is a lot of room for improvement,” said Senator Salazar. “At a time when we are trying to wean our country from our addiction to foreign oil and invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy, there are several parts of this budget that send the wrong signal.” Clean Coal Power Initiatives: “I am pleased that the Administration proposes to expand the Clean Coal Power Initiative and Carbon Sequestration budgets. The success of these programs will go hand-in-hand with our efforts to transform the environmental footprint of our nation’s coal industry. Achieving these goals is absolutely critical to our energy and environmental security, and to ensuring that the coal industry remains a workhorse of our economy well into the future.” American Competitiveness Initiative: “I am also pleased that the Administration is maintaining its commitment under the American Competitiveness Initiative to double the budget of the Department of Energy Office of Science in the coming years. These programs are the bedrock of the Nation’s energy science enterprise. I was disappointed with the very late decision of the appropriators to roll back the widely-supported increase for the Office of Science in the last fiscal year. I understand that some programs were cut significantly, and I am hopeful that that will be an aberration.” Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Programs: “I believe our strategic energy and environmental security needs demand a robust expansion of energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. The President’s budget proposed to cut funding to energy efficiency and renewable energy programs by 27 percent over Fiscal Year 2008 spending levels. At a time when we are trying to wean our country from our addiction to foreign oil and invest in renewable energy, this cut in funding is sending the wrong signal.” National Renewable Energy Laboratory: “I have long called for the President to double the lab’s budget over five years. Unfortunately, the President’s budget only funds it at the same level as last year. I am extremely concerned that NREL is essentially flat-funded. After major recent investments in new laboratory infrastructure, including the new Science and Technology Facility and the planned Energy Systems Integration Facility, it is disappointing that the Administration continually fails to acknowledge NREL’s growth capacity from a programmatic standpoint. Instead of maintaining the status quo, we should be working together to put NREL on a path to double its budget – not because this is some arbitrary goal, but because NREL has the capacity to grow and provide even more new insights into our most pressing energy needs.” Solar Energy Research: “While I applaud the proposed increase in funding for biomass and biorefinery research and development, the proposed cut in solar energy research simply does not make sense. Juxtaposing the top-line energy efficiency and renewable energy number to those for nuclear and fossil energy programs, I am left with no other conclusion than that the Administration does not believe developing renewable energy sources should be a major national priority.” Weatherization Assistance Program: “Like several of my colleagues I am also disturbed by the proposed cancellation of the Weatherization Assistance program. Thousands of low-income families have benefited from this program over the years. Many such families live in older rental properties; I imagine it is not uncommon for landlords to be disinterested in making a major investment in new windows or insulation for example when they are not the ones paying the utility bills. At a time when energy costs are soaring, it is unconscionable to consider pulling the rug out from under the families that need help most. Around 4,000 homes in Colorado are weatherized under the program every year, and I intend to fight for this program’s survival.” Electric Delivery
and Energy Reliability: “I was also disheartened to see a proposed
cut in the budget of the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability
funding. Achieving better energy efficiency in our electric infrastructure
– from demand-response to transmission and distribution – should be
a national priority. Instead of expanding this office’s vital work this
budget takes a step backward.” ###
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