Washington
The U.S. Senate gave final Congressional approval on Thursday to an appropriations measure that includes $27.1-billion for the Energy Department during the fiscal year that began on October 1. President Obama is expected to sign the bill, HR 3183, into law.
The Energy Department funds include $4.9-billion for the Office of Science, an increase of $131-million, or 2.7 percent, over last year. That amount is $42-million below the Obama administration's request and $44-million below the amount originally approved by the House of Representatives before a conference committee worked out the final version. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the country.
The final version of the measure also includes $15-million for ARPA-E, or Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, a new Energy Department agency in charge of financing scientific research. It includes no money, however, for a proposed program called RE-ENERGYSE, which the president had sought as a means of inspiring tens of thousands of American students to pursue science careers related to clean energy. And Congress cut the administration's proposal for eight new "energy innovation hubs," which would have been based largely at American universities at a projected cost of $280-million, down to three.
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