The House is planning to vote on the 2013 Energy and Water spending bill, which would authorize $32.1 billion for next year, $87.5 million more than current-year levels, according to The Hill. The bill would increase funding for oil, gas, and coal research, including $25 million for a shale oil research program, and provide $25 million for the controversial Yucca mountain nuclear waste facility program.

The exact allocation of funds has yet to be finalized, and the House has introduced and voted to reject many amendments that would have cut spending. One of the largest proposed cuts would have come from DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (ERRE) program. Competing amendments were proposed to cut fossil fuel energy research by $100 million and add $50 million to ERRE, and another would have transferred $180 million from the National Nuclear Security Administration to ERRE for weatherization assistance to states. Both were rejected.

The White House issued a veto threat, citing cuts to ARPA-E, DOE’s Office of Science, and EIA.

What is causing the lack of consensus on this year’s Energy and Water authorization? What would an optimized Energy and Water spending package look like? What DOE programs deserve more support? What programs deserve less?