Washington—The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, chaired by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), today approved the fiscal year 2012 funding bill that addresses energy, water infrastructure and nuclear security challenges facing the nation. The bill provides critical investments that will help develop clean and alternative energy sources, and protect the nation from nuclear terrorism.

The FY 2012 bill provides a total of $31.625 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Energy (DOE). The Subcommittee legislation is $57 million below the fiscal year 2011 enacted level. The allocation for this bill is divided into security and non-security accounts. The security accounts are made up of funding for the National Nuclear Security Administration and these received a $528 million increase over fiscal year 2011. The non-security accounts received an allocation $584 million below fiscal year 2011. The bill also provides $1.045 billion in disaster relief funding to repair damaged infrastructure from flooding on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

Fiscal Year 2012 Energy and Water Development legislation highlights:

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

The Subcommittee legislation would provide $25.549 billion for the Department of Energy.

• The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) would receive  $250 million, $70 million more than fiscal year 2011, to develop high-risk, but promising future energy technologies.
• The Office of Science would receive $4.843 billion, the same as fiscal year 2011, to focus on breakthroughs in energy applications and develop the next-generation high performance computing systems
• Energy and Efficiency and Renewable Energy programs would receive  $1.796 billion, the same as fiscal year 2011, to advance solar, biomass, and vehicle technologies.
• Electricity and Energy Reliability would receive $141 million, the same as fiscal year 2011, to support renewable energy integration into the electric transmission grid.
• Nuclear Energy would receive $584 million, which is $142 million below fiscal year 2011, to focus on safety and ways to manage spent fuel.
• Fossil Energy would receive $259 million, which is $186 million below fiscal year 2011.
• Defense Environmental Cleanup would receive $5.002 billion, which is   $11 million above fiscal year 2011.
• Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup would receive $219 million, which is   $4 million below fiscal year 2011 and the same as the President’s budget request.
• Weapons Activities would receive $7.190 billion, which is $294 million above fiscal year 2011.
• Nuclear Nonproliferation would receive $2.383 billion, which is $110 million above fiscal year 2011.
• Naval Reactors would receive $1.100 billion, which is $141 million above fiscal year 2011.
• The Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves would receive $15 million, which is equal to the President’s budget request.
• The Strategic Petroleum Reserve would receive $193 million, an increase of  $70 million above fiscal year 2011.
• The Energy Information Administration would receive $105 million, which is $10 million above fiscal year 2011

ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS 

The Subcommittee legislation would provide $4.864 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers. This level is $291 million above the President’s budget request and $101 million more than the House bill.

• General Investigations would receive $125 million, which is $2 million below fiscal year 2011.
• Construction, General funding would receive $1.610 billion, which is    $180 million below fiscal year 2011.
• The Mississippi River and Tributaries would receive $250 million, which is  $8 million above fiscal year 2011.
• Operations and Maintenance would receive $2.360 billion, which is $6 million below fiscal year 2011.
• The Regulatory Program would receive $193 million, which is $3 million more than fiscal year 2011.
• Formerly Utilized Sited Remedial Action Program would receive $109 million equal to the request.
• The Office of the Assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works would receive $5 million, which is the same as fiscal year 2011.
• For General Expenses, the Corps would receive $185 million equal to the request. 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

The Subcommittee legislation would provide $1.067 billion for the Department of the Interior. This level is $16 million above the President’s budget request and $133 million above the House bill.

• The Department of Interior’s Central Utah Project Completion Account would receive $29 million, which is $3 million more than fiscal year 2011.
• The Bureau of Reclamation’s Water and Related Resources account would receive $886 million, which is $26 million below fiscal year 2011.
• The Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Project Restoration Fund account would receive $53 million, which is $3 million above fiscal year 2011.
• The Bureau of Reclamation’s California Bay-Delta Restoration account would receive $40 million, which is equal to the budget request.
• The Bureau of Reclamation’s Policy and Administration account would receive $60 million, which is $1 million below fiscal year 2011.

INDEPENDENT AGENCIES 

The Subcommittee legislation would provide $241 million for independent agencies under Title IV of the bill.

• The Nuclear Regulatory Commission would receive $129 million, equal to the President’s budget request.
• The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board would receive $29 million, equal to the President’s budget request.

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