President Obama’s fiscal year 2014 budget, released April 10th, contains many of the energy initiatives previously outlined in his Energy Blueprint. Programs such as the Race to the Top energy efficiency challenge and the Energy Security Trust are included, along with slight adjustments to the enacted budgets of the primary agencies that shape energy policy – the Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Specifically, the DOE budget would see total funding growth of 8%, with funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy increasing 40%. The DOI budget would increase 4%, and include an oil and gas permitting pilot program, while the EPA budget would decrease $296 million, or 3.5% from 2012 level.
The figure below compares the President’s FY’14 Energy Department budget with FY’13, as well as the House, Senate, and Final (enacted) budgets.
What’s your take on the President’s fiscal year 2014 budget? Do the figures and initiatives reflect the approach America ought to take to address its energy future?