Power Engineering - U.S. House committee reports FY 2004 Energy and Water Development Appropriations

July 16, 2003 -- The House Appropriations Committee has released funding numbers for Fiscal Year 2004 energy and water development.

"I am pleased to be able to present the first Energy and Water Appropriations bill to the Subcommittee since assuming the Chairmanship in January," Subcommittee Chairman David Hobson said. "I believe we have crafted a responsible and bipartisan bill to improve the status of our nation's energy and water resources. We are truly at a historic crossroads in respects to both our energy needs and water resources, and I think this bill will help us make a great deal of progress."

The Chairman's mark provides a total of $27.1 billion in new discretionary spending authority for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Civil, the Department of Interior including the Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Energy, and several Independent Agencies. This bill is $942 million above fiscal year 2003 and $134 million above the President's budget request.

The Chairman's mark supports a vigorous civil works program. By concentrating resources on those traditional missions such as flood control, shoreline protection, and navigation which yield the greatest economic benefits for the nation, the bill ensures the highest possible return on taxpayer investment. The recommendation of $4.48 billion is $288 million over the President's budget request and $156 million below fiscal year 2003.

The Chairman's mark provides funding necessary to maintain, operate, and rehabilitate Bureau projects throughout the western United States and protect the considerable Federal investment in western water infrastructure. Funding for the Bureau of Reclamation is $947.95 million, an increase of $25.7 million over the President's request and $24.4 below last year's level. No funding is provided for the CALFED Bay-Delta project in fiscal year 2004 due to expiration of the project's authorization.

The recommendation of $22 billion for the Department of Energy is $147 million under the President's request and $1.2 billion above fiscal year 2003.

* The chairman's mark includes $330 million for renewable energy programs, $114 million below the budget request and $89 million below fiscal year 2003. Much of this apparent reduction represents a transfer to the new Office of Electricity Transmission and Distribution, as recommended by the Secretary of Energy.

* Nuclear energy programs are funded at $268 million, a decrease of $9.1 million from the budget request and $8 million above fiscal year 2003. The Chairman's mark funds Nuclear Energy Plant Optimization (NEPO) program at $4 million, the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) at $10 million, and nuclear energy technologies at $42.7 million. The Chairman's mark also includes $2.5 million for the Nuclear Hydrogen initiative and $58.5 million for the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative.

* DOE science programs are funded at $3.48 billion, an increase of $169 million over the budget request and $219 million above fiscal year 2003. High energy physics is funded at $748 million and nuclear physics at $399.4 million, both $10 million over the request level. Biological and environmental research is funded at $562 million, $62.5 million over the request level. Funding for basic energy sciences is $1.0 billion, $8 million over the request, and includes full funding for the Spallation Neutron Source. The Advanced Scientific Computing Research initiative is funded at $213.5 million, an increase of $40 million over the request. Fusion energy research is funded at $268.1 million, $10.8 million above the request.

* The Nuclear Waste Program continues to be one of the Chairman's highest energy priorities. The Chairman's mark provides a total of $765 million for nuclear waste disposal, an increase of $174 million over the budget request and $308 million more than fiscal year 2003. Additional funds are provided to enable the Department to initiate repository operations in 2010, with particular emphasis in developing a rail line in Nevada that avoids the Las Vegas metropolitan area.

* The Power Marketing Administrations are funded at $207.3 million, the same as the President's request and $5.2 million above last year. Reimbursable purchase power and wheeling activities are maintained at the fiscal year 2003 levels.

* The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which includes the nuclear weapons program, defense nuclear nonproliferation, naval reactors and the office of the administrator, is funded at $8.5 billion, an increase of $330.1 million over last year, and $326.4 million below the budget request. Funding of $6.12 billion is provided for weapons activities; $1.28 billion for defense nuclear nonproliferation programs; $768.4 million for naval reactors; and $341.9 for the office of the administrator.

* Funding of $7.6 billion is provided for DOE environmental management cleanup activities, $87.5 million less than the budget request and $213 million over last year. The Chairman's mark continues the strong commitment to accelerate cleanup schedules at contaminated sites throughout the country, thus reducing public health and safety risks as well as total life-cycle cleanup costs.

Funding for Independent Agencies is $138.4 million, a decrease of $9.5 million below the President's request and $68.2 million below fiscal year 2003. The funding levels by agency are: the Appalachian Regional Commission--$33.1 million; the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board--$19.6 million; the Delta Regional Authority--$2 million; the Nuclear Regulatory Commission--$618.8 million offset by revenues of $538.8 million; the Office of the Inspector General of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission--$7.3 million offset by revenues of $6.7 million; and the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board--$3.2 million. No funds are provided for the Denali Commission.

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