Arizona Solar Center

The Challenge of the Trump Budget- 2019

The White House as submitted its proposed budget for FY 2020 and it is not pro-renewable or pro-sustainable by a long shot. The Budget is titled "A BUDGET FOR A Better America". For instance, the Budget redefines the Mission of the Department of Energy in part as:

The mission of the Department of Energy (DOE) is to advance U.S. national security and economic growth
through transformative science and technology innovations that promotes affordable and reliable energy
through market solutions, and meets America’s nuclear security and environmental clean-up challenges.

Energy efficiency programs, clean energy and environmental regulations could take deep cuts if President Trump’s proposed budget gets everything what he wants, although it’s politically likely that he will not.

The administration’s fiscal 2020 budget would trim the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office by $1.6 billion, or 70 percent of the fiscal 2019 appropriation. Overall, the DOE requested a $31.7 billion budget, an 11-percent decrease.

The Environmental Protection Agency budget request totaled $6.1 billion, a 31-percent cut from the nearly $9 billion allocated for fiscal 2019, according to reports.

“President Trump’s budget supports the Department’s vast mission in a fiscally responsible way, and makes clear that success will be measured not by the dollars spent but by the results achieved on behalf of the American people,” reads the DOE statement announcing the budget. “It calls for strategic investments in our energy security and national security, supporting America’s continued rise as an energy independent nation. Under President Trump’s leadership we have empowered American energy, with the U.S. becoming the world’s largest producer of oil and natural gas, and now exporting LNG to 34 countries across five continents. The budget request also focuses on moving America forward by investing in transformational science, innovation, and technology. The Department of Energy’s National Labs are the crown jewels of America’s innovation and this funding will continue to support their work from Artificial Intelligence to renewables, clean coal and Advanced Nuclear technology. The budget proposal also funds the modernization of our nuclear stockpile, the aging infrastructure that supports it, and ensures a safe and effective system for our nuclear Navy for years to come.”

The statement said funding would continue to support the DOE’s National Labos programs, including work on artificial intelligence, clean coal and renewable energy. It also allocates money for support advanced nuclear energy technology.

Trump’s overall administration budget cut across all fronts except military spending. It also allocated about $8 billion toward building a wall along the border with Mexico.

Energy efficiency took a huge hit. One detail noted by critics of the budget proposal was that, under the plan, the EnergyStar appliance program would be funded entirely from user fees. It could cut the EPA’s vehicle emissions program completely, according to reports.

“This proposal, if enacted, would cause Americans’ energy costs to rise, while killing jobs around the country,” said Steve Nadel, executive director of advocacy group The American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy, in a statement. “Energy efficiency directly supports 2.3 million U.S. jobs and indirectly many more. In addition to putting these jobs at risk, these cuts run counter to the administration’s own goals of promoting economic growth and reducing wasteful spending. We hope Congress will stand up for business owners, workers, and consumers by blocking the proposed 2020 budget cuts.”

The ACEEE statement also said that the DOE's appliance standards, vehicle emissions and building codes programs will save Americans billions of dollars through 2030.

Trump’s budget must go through a Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, in which all appropriations bills must begin. In previous years the presidential administration has proposed major cuts to EPA and clean energy programs beyond even what was announced this week.

For instance, two years ago the newly installed Trump Administration proposed 31 percent cuts to EPA funding for fiscal 2018, but the Republican-controlled Congress approved an $8.1 billion budget that kept the agency level with fiscal 2017.

The basic Budget description is available here:

Most of the above text is from Electric Power & Light: https://www.elp.com/articles/2019/03/renewable-energy-efficiency-groups-mount-united-front-vs-trump-budget.html

Groups are organizing to resist this budget reduction:

ASES That's a wrap! 2018 Report

That's a wrap!

As 2018 draws to a close, ASES can reflect on another year of bringing together the solar community though our events and resources. From our new jobs board to Tiny Watts, SOLAR 2018 to the National Solar Tour, our accomplishments are a reflection of the enormous support that we feel from supporters like you. So please accept our sincere gratitude in 2018 as we prepare for even more important work in the weeks and months ahead. We are looking forward to engaging more volunteers to join our community, and an overwhelming increase in solar adoption in 2019.

Earlier this month at COP24 in Katowice, Poland, the United Nations agreed on a common set of rules to put the Paris Agreement into practice. A landmark IPCC report showed we have less than a decade to address global climate change or face catastrophic consequences. It painted a more dire picture of the consequences of climate change than previous research, and this heightens the need for a rapid transformation of the energy economy. The vast majority of the U.N. formally supported the IPCC 1.5˚C report, however the United States only "noted" the report, indicating that it does not endorse its findings.

Though the U.N. science panel chief called for more action to curb climate change (Good COP!), the COP24 outcomes were simply not enough and did not bolster the sense of urgency demanded by the findings. Island countries most vulnerable to climate change, such as Fiji, the Maldives and Vanatu, are expressing deep concern at potential negative outcomes from the negotiations in Poland. At ASES we are bridging solutions and creating the power of community. Please submit a proposal to present at SOLAR 2019, and join us there August 5-9th, in Minneapolis, MN, a city with a commitment to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030. Please see our call to for participation below to present your solutions. And please join us and give your support today, with a tax deductible donation to ASES.

From the islands to the poles, we are in severe climate danger. Also this month, NOAA published its annual report card on the changing Arctic, describing the north and south poles as increasingly melting as they warm at twice the rate of the global average. With the last five years being the hottest on record, we are "pushing the Arctic into uncharted territory."

It's not too late, and we do have cause to celebrate. Employing more than 250,000 Americans, the U.S. solar energy industry is making our economy stronger and our air cleaner every day. What’s good for the planet is also good for our wallets. 2018 boasted over 18% of net domestic electrical generation from renewable energy sources. More and more individuals, businesses, cities, states, and countries are taking the pledge for 100% renewable energy. Welcome 2019. The future is here. Let’s work together for a clean and clear vision towards 2020.

Wishing you peace and love in your heart and many blessings for a prosperous New Year!
Carly Rixham
Executive Director
American Solar Energy Society