White House threatens to veto DOE funding bill

The White House today threatened to veto the House Republicans' Department of Energy (DOE) funding bill for fiscal year 2015, citing its cuts in spending on renewable energy programs and provisions to block environmental regulations.

Because the bill "significantly underfunds critical investments" in clean energy technologies, President Barack Obama's advisers would recommend he veto the legislation if it reached his desk, the Office of Management and Budget said.

The US House of Representatives may vote this week on legislation for DOE's fiscal 2015 budget that would cut renewable energy programs funding to $1.8bn, about $110mn less than 2014 and $546mn below the president's request. It would also boost fossil energy research by $30.9mn to $593mn. DOE's total budget would increase by about $25mn under the bill.

OMB also said the bill contains "questionable environmental riders" that prohibit the use of funds to implement or enforce certain regulations. The bill includes restrictions on federal Clean Water Act rules, a move intended to prevent regulation of coal mining.

The Senate, which is unlikely to support the House bill, has not yet taken up its own version of the DOE budget. The Senate Appropriations Committee canceled a scheduled mark-up of the legislation last month because Republicans intended to attach provisions to block Environmental Protection Agency greenhouse gas regulations for power plants. It has not yet rescheduled the vote.

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