Energy Secretary Stephen Chu testified before the House Appropriations Committee about his department's $27.2 billion budget request Tuesday afternoon. This is a 3.2 percent increase over the department's enacted 2012 budget.
The request includes increases in funding for clean energy, research and development and advanced manufacturing. The $5 billion request for funding for the Office of Science is a more than 2 percent, or $118 million, increase over 2012 and promotes continued U.S. leadership in basic research.
Despite the overall increase, the budget cuts $4 billion annually by eliminating inefficient and outdated fuel subsidies. Additionally, the request focuses on fully utilizing existing facilities and infrastructure.