United StatesEnergy Department would establish institutes for clean energy research
By 2030, an Energy Department agency would direct any money Congress later provides to clean energy research, prioritizing affected communities and specified colleges and regions.
What it does
A National Institutes of Clean Energy agency would operate within the Energy Department by January 1, 2030. Congress could later provide $400 billion for fiscal years 2027 through 2036.
The agency would invest in clean energy and climate research, including demonstration projects, overlooked research areas, and studies of effects on communities, jobs, and workers.
Research choices would favor work that helps communities facing disproportionate environmental harm, advances clean energy, involves public or minority-serving colleges, and reaches regions with severe job losses.
Argument forFocused research could produce cleaner technologies, improve climate resilience, and reduce pollution-related harm in disproportionately affected communities.
Argument againstIf Congress provides it, the $400 billion authorization could compete with other federal spending priorities over ten fiscal years.
More detail
The federal government would establish the National Institutes of Clean Energy. The Institutes would operate as an agency within the Department of Energy. The funding authorization permits Congress to provide money later but does not itself provide the money. The agency must be established no later than January 1, 2030, and the funding authorization covers fiscal years 2027 through 2036.
The agency would invest in and support clean energy and climate research. Its work would cover science, innovation, demonstration projects, and research on community and workforce effects. Technology counted as advanced energy technology must efficiently reduce greenhouse gases, minimize resource use, involve renewable energy, and limit harm to vulnerable communities.
The agency must give listed technologies, research projects, colleges, and regions priority. Priorities include work benefiting affected communities, advanced energy and climate research, work at specified colleges, and regions with the worst job losses. The community priority uses a two-part definition: a community must be in an area covered by a cited federal economic-development law and face disproportionate climate, pollution, or environmental harm. The regional priority measures job losses between 2018 and 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Oct 1Introduced in HouseLatest
- Oct 1Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.Introduced
Environment & EnergyEconomy & JobsEducation