The appropriations bill (HR4818) Congress worked on over the weekend is massive. This is the financial fuel for the next year, though, so I thought I’d go through it to cull some highlights, starting with the funding for renewable energy programs.

Congress is signing off on $389 million of funding for the renewable energy programs run by the Department of Energy, a 9% increase over the appropriations from last year. Some of that is administrative—program direction, “intergovernmental activity” and such. On a direct program basis, the appropriations are  increasing 4%, from $323.6 million to $336.4 million.

Hydrogen programs are accounting for most of the increase. Biomass and biofuel programs is the only area to be decreased.

The appropriations are detailed, down to the amount and the program.  Some of the detail left me scratching my head— such as “$250,000 for the Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition for biomass restoration and science-based restoration.”

Although biomass and biofuels are taking a hit, they are doing better than the National Climate Change Technology Initiative, which remains unfunded for the second year in a row.

More to come.