What Happened?

Federal funding for wind, solar, hydrogen, and bioenergy research would disappear under a spending bill the House Appropriations Committee approved for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, 2027. Those four programs received $480 million combined in fiscal 2026. The committee's bill, H.R. 9022, would cut that to zero.

The committee set total energy and water spending at $62.5 billion, just under the $62.688 billion the administration requested.

Why Does it Matter to Me?

The renewable energy research programs on the chopping block fund work on making wind turbines, solar panels, and hydrogen technology cheaper and more practical for everyday use. Cutting them could slow the development of those technologies and affect energy costs and options down the road, though the source material does not specify a timeline or dollar impact for consumers.

The Army Corps of Engineers, which maintains flood control systems, dams, and waterways that communities across the country depend on, would see its funding protected. The committee recommended $9.8 billion for the Corps, well above the administration's request of $6.7 billion and only six percent below fiscal 2026 levels.

Seven of eight Federal Regional Commissions and Authorities, which fund economic development projects in rural and distressed areas, would also keep their current funding under the committee's bill.

Both Sides, Now

The administration had asked for a 29 percent increase for the National Nuclear Security Administration, including a 35 percent boost for nuclear weapons activities, requesting $27.4 billion for weapons alone. The committee recommended $22.1 billion for weapons activities, a substantial cut from the request.

The administration also proposed a new $3.5 billion "Baseload Power" account to support coal, natural gas, geothermal, nuclear, and hydropower, describing renewables as "intermittent." The committee did not include that account in its bill.

The administration proposed canceling $15.2 billion in unspent funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), money originally set aside for renewable energy, carbon capture, electric vehicles, and regional commissions. The committee declined to cancel those funds, leaving them available for future use.

It recommended a 3.3 percent increase for the Department of Energy's Office of Science, which supports basic research, after the administration proposed cutting that office by 13 percent.

What Happens Next?

The full House must vote on H.R. 9022 before it can move forward. The Senate Appropriations Committee would then write its own version, and the two chambers would need to agree on a final bill. The administration's proposals that the committee rejected, including the nuclear weapons increase, the Baseload Power account, and the IIJA rescissions, could resurface in Senate negotiations or in any final compromise. No House floor vote date has been announced.

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