trump aims deep cuts at energy agency that helped make solar power affordable

The Trump administration aims to reach half. billion-
US dollar reserves in major US citiesS.
Research Center for Renewable Energy
25% of the agency\'s budget, which is only the last five months of the federal fiscal year.
More substantial cuts are expected for € 2018
Researchers on clean energy, and even some Republicans in Congress, have the possibility.
The office of energy efficiency and renewable energy is a $2 billion branch of the Department of Energy.
It is considered to help drive the rapid expansion of roof solar panels, electric vehicle batteries, LED lighting, etc.
E & E News reported earlier this week the proposed $0. 516 billion cut for the remaining fiscal year of 2017.
Congress has yet to approve the cuts, but they remain a clear signal of priority for the government.
Trump\'s \"skinny\" budget proposal for fiscal 2018, released earlier this month, suggests that the expected cut in EERE could reach $1 billion, according to estimates by some office staff and knowledgeable observers.
Some staff say layoffs will hurt the U. S. economy. S.
Research and technological competence.
They believe that the main part of the cut could fall on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the Golden State of Colorado.
China\'s leading research institute for clean energy.
An EERE employee said: \"These people are the people we have in labs across the country, and when our money is cut, these people are postdocs, graduate students and researchers like the other one in the article who asked to speak anonymously because they were not allowed to speak on the record, fearing that there might be retaliation for doing so.
\"They are doing research.
They don\'t have a job.
We are not competitive.
\"In fact, all federal funding for the lab comes from the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office of the Department of Energy --
The total federal budget for 2016 was $273, of which $0. 292 billion.
\"I think in general, I would argue that the whole scientific community is a little concerned about what the direction and focus of this budget is and how much it has an impact on the whole science,\" said Martin Keller, director of NREL.
An official from the White House Office of Management and Budget was not authorized to speak in response to inquiries about EERE\'s expected fate in 2018, saying that \"the medium-term budget is more adequate
More details may be included.
\"The budget blueprint represents the highest level of funding proposed by the government.
The final budget figure for fiscal 2018 will be announced.
\"The budget will then be submitted to Congress for review and debate, and we will be able to provide more details at that time,\" a spokesman for the Department of Energy added ,\". He was also not authorized to speak for attribution.
Colorado\'s congressional leaders have pledged to defend the state\'s Clean Energy Laboratory.
\"There is no doubt that we cannot continue on the same track and that expenditure priorities must be set to operate the federal government more effectively;
However, cutting the research and development of NREL is not the answer, because every dollar of taxpayer money invested through the laboratory will generate a private investment of $5. \"Sen said. Cory Gardner (R-Colo. )
In a statement from the Washington Post
\"Congress ultimately controls the power of the wallet, and I am still committed to putting the interests of Colorado first.
The shift in AtEERE is dramatic.
During the Obama administration, EERE played an important role in the government\'s clean energy agenda.
Obama\'s final budget request will increase his funding to nearly $2. 9 billion.
From studying new forms of hydropower to wind energy, the office conducts and finances scientific research aimed at saving energy or promoting low-carbon energy.
Release new products regularly-
Specific energy efficiency standards that save consumers money.
During the Obama administration, EERE played an important role in driving down the price of solar panels.
NREL research, funded by stimulus programs and other measures, has helped utilities cost down 74%
Scale solar energy from 2010 to 2016.
Jessika tranitch said: \"While it is difficult to say in terms of quantity how much of the cost reduction of photovoltaic modules comes from these projects, all the evidence suggests that they are critical, \"researchers at MIT who study clean energy policies and systems refer to EERE and NREL.
In the 1990 s, NREL helped create the tellur cadmium-based solar technology, which was eventually commercialized by First Solar (now a $3 billion company.
President Trump\'s energy policy focuses on domestic fossil fuels, with no mention of wind, solar or renewable energy.
His proposed budget will cut previously undisputed energy efficiency projects, such as the EPA\'s Energy Star and Weather Assistance Program (
Operated by EERE)
, Abandon completely innovative clean energy research projects like senior research projectsEnergy, or ARPA-
Also part of the Department of Energy. Like ARPA-
E, EERE has always been the goal of the Heritage Conservation Foundation, which has inspired Trump\'s budget plan and accused it of supporting \"full commercialisation\" rather than basic research funding.
Trump\'s 2018 budget also believes that offices like EERE need to \"focus [d]
\"Limited, early
Phase energy research and development activities with stronger federal role.
But there is a big disagreement about Heritage\'s philosophy of government. Research funded
\"Early application research is a typical step back for the Republican government.
It was an important job, but missed the point in time needed to get a good idea from the lab to the market, \"said David Friedman, acting assistant director of the EU under Obama.
Friedman explained that EERE\'s research on the use of solar energy far exceeded the basic research.
It funded demonstrations of technology and even ways to overcome market barriers to the introduction of technology.
Venkatesh Narayanamurti, professor of science and technology policy at Kennedy School at Harvard University, also criticized what he said was \"the wrong argument that the government should not be in the technical field \".
He believes that investment in basic research by energy companies in the private sector is often too risky, and in many cases, in the long process of going commercial --
Known as the valley of death \".
\"Science and Technology complement each other,\" Narayanamurti said . \".
\"You can\'t separate them.
SunPower, a major solar company, told the Post that it had snapped up startups
Ups supported by DOE and EERE, including SolarBridge Technologies, which received $3.
£ 3 million grant from the EERE SunShot initiative.
\"The DOE project helps stimulate innovation and technology research and development as a catalyst for the growth of many American businessesS.
SunPower Chief Executive Werner said.
The proposed cuts to the research center are part of the Trump administration\'s broader rollback of the Obama climate action.
Prior to taking office, the Trump transition questionnaire distributed to Doe asked the names of the employees involved in climate change-related meetings
Raised concerns about the politicisation of the agency.
Other questions include, \"What projects of the Department of Energy are critical to achieving the goals of President Obama\'s climate action plan?
\"If you think climate change is not important, then the importance of what we do will be greatly reduced,\" said an EERE staff member . \".
The American Association for the Advancement of Science estimates that EERE and several other applied energy research institutions will be cut by more than 45 age points in the 2018 budget.