US seeks $14bn climate funds boost in fiscal 2022

President Joe Biden is asking lawmakers for a $14bn funding increase next fiscal year on climate-related programs, such as plugging abandoned oil wells and electrifying portions of the government's vehicle fleet.

The White House sought that funding today in its "skinny" budget request for the fiscal year starting on 1 October. The budget, which seeks to raise non-defense spending in fiscal 2022 by 16pc to $769bn, offers further insights on the administration's priorities but is unlikely to be enacted fully by the US Congress, where lawmakers often have differing priorities.

The budget has similarities to Biden's separate push for an infrastructure bill spending $2 trillion over the next eight years. They both aim to electrify vehicles, expand passenger rail, invest in clean energy and support climate change resilience. The White House says the budget would complement the infrastructure plan and reverse years of "chronic disinvestment."

"This moment of crisis is also a moment of possibility," White House acting budget director Shalanda Young said in a letter to congressional appropriators.

The $14bn in newly requested climate funds would be spread across nearly all major federal agencies. The White House says its goal is to enhance competitiveness, support economically struggling areas and support Biden's campaign promise for the US to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

The funding request includes $1.7bn for energy efficiency retrofits on homes and federal buildings, $1.9bn for an initiative at the US Energy Department on clean energy projects, $600mn to electrify government vehicles and $815mn on climate-related disaster programs. It also seeks $100mn to retrain Appalachian workers moving away from fossil fuels and $450mn to remediate orphaned oil and gas wells and abandoned mines.

"This more than triples the current annual discretionary funding, building on the president's commitment to create 250,000 good-paying union jobs," the request says.

Biden also is asking funding to support his international climate goals. The budget requests $1.2bn to go into the "Green Climate Fund" that was set up to help developing countries curb emissions under the Paris climate accord. The funding would be the first US contribution since 2017. The budget seeks another $1.2bn for international climate programs administered by the US.

The White House says it will release a more comprehensive budget request later this spring.

By Chris Knight