{"id":2311,"date":"2012-02-15T16:26:54","date_gmt":"2012-02-15T16:26:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/?p=2311"},"modified":"2012-02-15T16:26:54","modified_gmt":"2012-02-15T16:26:54","slug":"clean-energy-and-the-2013-budget-proposal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2012\/02\/15\/clean-energy-and-the-2013-budget-proposal\/","title":{"rendered":"Clean Energy And The 2013 Budget Proposal"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Source: EcoWatch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In his State of the Union\u00a0Address\u00a0last month<\/a>, President Obama made energy issues a focal point. Taking a clear stance, he said that it was time to \u201cend the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that’s rarely been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that’s never been more promising.\u201d \u00a0With this statement, President Obama is addressing the reality that government support for new energy sources is the lowest it has been in any point in U.S. history, according to a report by DBL investors.\u00a0 \u201cDuring the early years of what would become the U.S. oil and gas industries, federal subsidies for producers averaged half a percent of the federal budget. \u00a0By contrast, the current support for renewables is barely a fifth that size, just one tenth of one percent of federal spending.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

Going further in addressing climate change the President said, “I know that there are those who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change. \u00a0But here’s the thing. \u00a0Even if you doubt the evidence, providing incentives for energy efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future, because the nation that leads the clean-energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy, and America must be that nation.”<\/p>\n

On Monday he unveiled his budget proposal for FY 2013<\/a>. \u00a0So, how does it hold up to the goals of his speech with regards to a clean energy future?<\/p>\n

The Good News:<\/span><\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The world\u2019s largest energy consumer, the Department of Defense (DOD), would receive approximately $1 billion for energy conservation efforts. This would further the DOD\u2019s increasing commitment to renewable energy which now makes up 8.5 percent of its energy production and procurement.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 With a 3.2 percent increase from the year before, the budget proposes $27.2 billion for the Department of Energy. Of that:<\/p>\n