By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

While the rest of the world was trying to solve global climate change last week at the COP24 talks, the United States held a forum to discuss how the rest of the world should use more “clean coal” and nuclear energy. To say the current U.S. administration is skeptical of climate science (even when it’s produced by its own scientists) would understate the case by a factor of 200.

But to date, the record on funding clean energy research appeared to continue apace. The Sunshot Initiative continues to release funds to research projects both on new technology on the solar and the energy storage front. So it seemed that despite their public feud with the solar industry, behind the scenes cooler heads would prevail.

Or so we thought. The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), however, begs to differ.

In a press release, the NRDC calls upon Congress to investigate why more than $600 million of funds earmarked for clean energy research hasn’t been already spent. They say that for the past two months – ever since the end of the fiscal year 2018 – the funds have not been forthcoming. An NRDC official says the delays are “uncharacteristic and concerning.”

“The consequences of the funds remaining unspent with no apparent plan for utilization is not only an insult to congressional direction but undermines U.S. businesses and entrepreneurs in developing the next generation of clean energy technologies,” she said.

Specifically, the NRDC points to the following shortfalls to support its point:

• DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) office – which the Trump administration tried twice to eliminate – has not spent more than 79% of its $353 million FY18 research budget ($280 million); and
• The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) – which the Trump administration tried to gut by about 70% – has failed to spend more than $319 million (14%) of its $2.32 billion FY18 research budget.

The world needs clean energy research now more than ever. If the NRDC numbers are correct – and there’s no reason to think they’re not – then they’re right. Congress needs to investigate and examine why on Earth the Trump Administration is defying its will. They must demand that they follow the law and spend the money appropriated to these programs.