By Ella Nilsen, CNN
CNN — President Joe Biden’s administration is announcing billions in new funding for climate, clean energy and environmental justice programs as part of the President’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2023.
Many science and environmental agencies could see significant funding boosts if Congress approves Biden’s budget proposal. This was first shared with CNN.
The US Department of Energy would receive $48.2Billion, the Environmental Protection Agency would get $11.9B, and the US Department of Interior would receive $17.6Billion. These significant funding increases are significantly higher than the Trump-era funding levels each of these agencies started with when Biden was elected.
Although the President’s budget serves to outline the administration’s priorities and is often approved by Congress, it is not always approved by all of them. Yet, the White House requests for climate and clean energy increase are a clear indication of how important they were to Biden’s agenda.
The administration proposes to increase funding for programs that support clean energy production in the US. It’s putting more emphasis on programs to lower energy prices for Americans, including programs that weatherize low-income households and funding for rural electric cooperatives.
“We’re trying multiple approaches across administration to lower energy costs,” said a source familiar about the President’s budget. “We’re pulling all the stops, pulling every lever possible to lower energy prices.
Russia’s war on Ukraine has disrupted energy markets and raised prices around the world. Biden’s budget proposes $3.3 Billion to increase domestic manufacturing of clean technology and accelerate the transition to zero emission vehicles and clean electricity.
It also invests $5B to loans to projects that prevent, reduce or sequester global gas emissions. This includes additional loans to domestic supply chain for critical minerals such as lithium that power electric vehicles.
Biden proposes $10.5 Billion in funding for the National Science Foundation. This includes over $900 Million specifically to fund research on climate and its effects on the US.
The budget also includes over $9 billion — an increase of $1 billion — in discretionary funding to programs that support job creation and economic revival in fossil fuel communities that are most affected by job losses.
It also includes $200 million to fund a new DOE solar manufacturing accelerator program. This is intended to produce more solar panels domestically, as most of the materials used in solar panels are imported from other countries, such as China.
Biden’s budget also includes funding to support environmental justice and grants for home weatherization and electrification, lowering their emissions. It includes $1.45 Billion for EPA programs related to environmental justice and $3 Billion for Interior programs under President’s Justice40 initiative. This initiative is designed to ensure that 40% of federal funds for climate change and clean energy goes to underserved communities.
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