New Funds Re-Energize Golden Lab

By Gargi Chakrabarty, Rocky Mountain News 
March 16, 2007

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory will receive more than $100 million in additional money from Washington this year. 

The U.S. Department of Energy, which owns the lab in Golden, will tell Congress today it is allocating the money in keeping with President Bush's promise to encourage research and development in renewable energy technologies. It's a 50 percent jump in NREL's annual budget this year. 

The midyear cash infusion is the largest in NREL's history and will help pay for scientific research and development programs that have suffered budget cuts and layoffs. 

An Energy Department official said the money will help meet the president's goals to reduce the country's reliance on oil. 





Joe Mahoney © News © 2006

President Bush makes a point as he moderates a panel discussion on alternative energy last February at NREL.

A month ago, Bush signed two measures passed by Congress that increased the Energy Department's funds by $500 million in fiscal 2007. 

One increases the energy efficiency and renewable energy programs by $300 million, while the other boosts the Office of Science programs by $200 million. 

Members of Colorado's congressional delegation from both sides of the aisle have pressed the Energy Department to get NREL at least $100 million from those additional funds. 

NREL spokesman George Douglas on Thursday said the lab was waiting to hear about the Energy Department's budget plan. 

"We have heard that congressional aides are being told that their bosses will be pleased with the numbers that will come out (today)," Douglas said. "We have no confirmation of how Department of Energy will distribute the money. However, if (the $100 million) is true, we are delighted." 

The Energy Department will propose that NREL spend $20 million of the additional money for its biorefinery researching ethanol and $16 million on its advanced thin-film photovoltaic manufacturing equipment that's looking to reduce the cost of solar panels. 

Also, the department wants the lab to spend $63 million to build a research facility on the campus. 

Currently, NREL pays $3.375 million in rent each year on leased offices in Golden. Those rented offices house hundreds of NREL scientists and Energy Department employees. A new building on the NREL campus would save $120 million in rent and other costs to taxpayers. 

NREL's budget 

(In fiscal years ending Sept. 31.) 

2007: $309.6 million* 

2006 $209.6 million 

2005 $201.9 million 

2004 $212.9 million 

2003 $230.1 million 

2002 $217.5 million 

2001 $214.5 million 

*The U.S. Department of Energy today will announce a $100 million infusion in NREL's budget for fiscal 2007.

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