Secretary of Energy Unveils DOE '03 Budget
FY2003 Budget Details President Bush's Top Priorities: National Security, Homeland Defense and Economic Growth
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham today released the Department of Energy's (DOE) Fiscal Year 2003 Budget request to Congress, calling the plan a blueprint to "build a stronger foundation for energy security in the 21st century."

The budget request of $21.9 billion will deliver concrete benefits, fulfilling the Bush administration's commitment to ensuring our national security, energy security, energy efficiency, environmental quality, and science and technology. Additionally, the Secretary discussed the department's evolution from an agency focused on Cold War missions to a well-managed, accountable department that is changing the way it does business in the 21st century.

"We have not turned our backs on tough decisions," Secretary Abraham said in remarks made this afternoon. "We've accelerated nonproliferation programs with Russia, improved the plutonium disposition program and helped to protect Americans from future terrorist attacks."

"After careful study, we are poised to recommend a permanent disposal site for nuclear waste, we moved ahead to cure the persistent Path 15 bottleneck in California, we challenged old ideas in our environmental cleanup program, and we set a new course for automobile transportation with FreedomCAR," Abraham added.

Following on the President's call in the State of the Union address to "do what is necessary to ensure our nation's security," the department requested $8 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) that directs additional funding to nuclear nonproliferation and stockpile stewardship programs.

"We will ensure the safety, security and reliability of the nuclear stockpile. And we'll make sure future research, development and production plans are geared to the Administration's defense strategy," continued Abraham.

Secretary Abraham also discussed the department's efforts to devote resources to implement the Administration's National Energy Plan, direct research and development toward new ideas and innovation, and move technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace.

Funding priorities for the FY2003 budget highlights are as follows:

National Nuclear Security Administration ($8 billion for FY2003, an increase of $433 million above FY2002)

The total funding for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is $8 billion. This is a 5.7 percent increase over the FY2002 appropriations. Included in that appropriation is $358 million for activities in response to the September 11 events. Within the FY2003 total, funding is provided to continue and expand activities to respond to the rapidly changing security environment. The budget requests $510 million for the physical and cyber security activities at the laboratories, plants and Nevada Test Site.

The FY2003 Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation request of $1.1 billion, is $87 million over the FY2002 appropriations. Included in that appropriation is an additional $223 million for activities related to the war on terrorism.

Directed Stockpile Work and Campaigns budget totals $3.3 billion. This funding will support the maintenance and evaluation of the existing stockpile and weapons refurbishment programs as well as fund 15 scientific, engineering and readiness campaigns to develop new capabilities to assess weapon status, extend weapon life and certify the reliability of the stockpile.

In addition to the NNSA programs, there are five other essential national security programs, reporting directly to Secretary Abraham - Intelligence, Counterintelligence, Security, Independent Oversight and Performance Assurance, and Energy Security and Assurance. The FY2003 request for these five programs total $318 million, an increase of $32 million or 11 percent.

Energy ($2.4 billion for FY2003)

The department has requested $277.1 million for the Weatherization Assistance Program to provide heating assistance to at least 123,000 low-income families. This funding supports the President's commitment to double funding for Weatherization Assistance over the next 10 years.

Approximately $150 million is included in the budget for FreedomCAR, a program dedicated to refocusing transportation research and development toward cost-effective, fuel cell powered vehicles and developing the infrastructure needed to make hydrogen an available fuel source.

The budget request also includes funding to implement the President's $2 billion, 10-year clean coal technology initiative as well as increased research into carbon sequestration, a promising long-term approach for reducing carbon emissions that President Bush cited last June in announcing his climate change policy.

The department has allocated approximately $38.5 million to launch a major new nuclear initiative, Nuclear Power 2010. Nuclear Power 2010 is a cooperative, cost-shared initiative with industry that will develop advanced nuclear technologies and demonstrate new regulatory processes leading to the startup of new nuclear plants by 2010.

This year's budget also supports the collaboration of nine leading nuclear nations to develop Generation IV nuclear energy systems. These are the next generation of reactor and fuel cycle technologies, available after 2010 but before 2030, that are safer, more reliable, and proliferation resistant.

Environment ($7.4 billion for FY2003, a $169 million increase above FY2002)

Last year, the Department announced that it would conduct a sweeping review of its Environmental Management programs and activities while maintaining the Department's commitment to health and safety and continued environmental cleanup with the ultimate goal of a "stronger, more effective and efficient environmental management program."

The results of the top-to-bottom Environmental Management Program review were unveiled last week. Secretary Abraham announced a total of $6.7 billion will be allocated to support the goals of the new plan. The plan includes provisions for basic funding at every site and an $800 million expedited cleanup account out of which those sites that agree to participate in the new plan will receive additional funds to fast-track cleanup. To access this cleanup account, a site and DOE will have to reach agreement on an expedited schedule that shows measurable gains and accountability ensuring that site more resources.

The plan also calls for a refocusing of the Environmental Management Program's Science and Technology program to concentrate on high-priority technical needs at closure sites, short and intermediate-term projects, and high-risk, high-payoff projects.

As a part of the compelling national interests, including the maintenance of our energy options, the Secretary has requested $527 million for the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management to advance the geologic disposal program to dispose of high-level radioactive waste, defense and commercial spent nuclear fuel, and to preserve our environment. This request is $150 million over the FY2002 appropriations.

The increase in funds will provide for technical activities to support the development of the license application; continue design work to develop final construction drawings and specifications; conduct performance confirmation testing, monitoring and evaluation activities, as required by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's licensing regulations; and continue development of the Nevada transportation design and planning. The Nevada Transportation budget element is new in FY2003 and includes $6 million for initial conceptual design and technical support.

The budget also includes $130 million for the Office of Environment, Safety, and Health and $26 million for the Office of Worker and Community Transition.

Office of Science ($3.3 billion for FY2003)

The request for the Office of Science will support increased funding for operations and instrumentation at Office of Science user facilities used by over 18,000 university, industry and government researchers. The request also provides for:

funding to keep the construction of the Spallation Neutron Source on schedule; increases in research, including nanoscience research to understand how to "tailor" materials for specific uses; climate change research, including a new Climate Change Research Initiative, the Human Genome and Genomes to Life programs, and Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing, supercomputer research and development to harness the full capability of modern supercomputers to solve scientific problems; and funds to counter the infrastructure deterioration at Office of Science laboratories.

The entire FY 2003 budget can be accessed via the internet at http://www.mbe.doe.gov/budget/03budget/index.htm.