The Power of the Purse
The Alliance supports robust funding for federal programs that promote energy efficiency, improve our national security, protect the environment, and save Americans money.
This page tracks the budget and appropriations process, focusing on programs that affect energy efficiency. These include:
- Research and development programs that nurture early- and mid-stage technologies that save energy, bringing them from ideas on a page to products and systems that can be mass produced at a net savings to consumers;
- Programs like Energy Star that test energy-consuming products, awarding the most efficient models the Energy Star label that sets them apart for consumers;
- Programs that funnel money to states and local governments for energy efficiency and conservation projects, including improving the efficiency of low-income homes;
Many other programs that develop and deploy cost-effective energy efficiency in homes, commercial buildings, industry and the electricity and transportation sectors.
The Budget and Appropriation Process
Each year on the first Monday in February, the President of the United States is required to submit to Congress a budget request that includes spending requests and revenue goals for all federal agencies for the next fiscal year.
Once the President’s budget request is released, the House and the Senate create and agree on a budget resolution, which has no statutory authority but provides a blueprint for spending on the twelve regular appropriations bills for the next fiscal year and at least five additional fiscal years. Based on this blueprint, the House and Senate Appropriation Committees obligate spending levels and budget authority for each federal agency. Once agreement is met on these appropriation bills by both chambers, they are sent to the President to be signed into law.
Alliance Material on Federal Energy Efficiency Funding
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