Energy Department would run institutes focused on clean energy research

The Energy Department would house the National Institutes of Clean Energy. Research would study cleaner energy, climate risks, and how energy production affects jobs and communities that bear an unfair share of environmental harm. Studies of jobs and worker training would focus especially on industries with many union members. Congress would still need to provide money for the institutes' work. The institutes would have to be in place no later than January 1, 2030.

The institutes would favor research at public colleges and in places hit hardest by job losses. The college priority would cover research conducted at public colleges and universities. Rural areas and places affected by industrial job losses would fall within the geographic priority when they are among the hardest-hit areas. The geographic priority would be based on job losses between 2018 and 2026.

The proposal would authorize $400 billion in federal funding. The money would cover setting up and running the institutes. Congress would still need to pass legislation providing the money. The funding authorization would cover fiscal years 2027 through 2036.