H.R. 3593
The Department of Energy Science for the Future Act would support important federal research facilities and activities that enable clean energy technologies.
SUMMARY
The Department of Energy (DOE) Science for the Future Act provides direction for the Office of Science’s six major research programs, ensures our premier scientific facilities remain competitive and that new facilities are completed on time and on budget. Keeping the Office’s initiatives relevant and agile is critical to preserving U.S. competitiveness and catalyzing American ingenuity.
HISTORY
Even though the Office of Science operates 10 of DOE’s national laboratories and accounts for over half of the DOE’s non-defense research and development (R&D) budget, this bill would be the first comprehensive authorization of the Office. The Office has six interdisciplinary program offices: Advance Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, High Energy Physics, and Nuclear Physics. As the lead federal agency that supports scientific research for energy applications, its facilities and research activities are advancing the next generation of energy storage, solar, hydrogen, critical minerals, fusion energy, manufacturing, carbon removal, bioenergy technologies, and much more.
SPECIFICS
The Department of Energy Science for the Future Act enables clean energy technologies by providing resources for upgrading major scientific user facilities and accelerating R&D in key technologies.
- Authorizes an incremental increase in the Office of Sciences budget from $7 billion in 2021 to $11 billion in 2026 to support R&D and facility upgrades.
Prepares the next generation of diverse clean energy researchers, scientists and professionals. - Affirms targeted initiatives in many areas including sustainable chemistry, energy storage, physical biosciences, particle and energy physics, and materials science and engineering.
- Expands on the fusion energy research activities authorized in the Energy Act of 2020 including a milestone-based public-private partnership program to support enabling R&D.
- Provides funding for the low-dose radiation research program that will help inform nuclear regulatory policy.
STATUS
A variation of H.R. 3593 was signed into law as part of the CHIPS and Science Act
ORIGINAL SPONSORS
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30), Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK-3)
COSPONSORS
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16), Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX-14)
SUPPORT
American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Association of Physicists in Medicine, American Astronomical Society, American Chemical Society, American Crystallographic Association, American Geophysical Union, American Geosciences Institute, American Institute of Physics, American Mathematical Society, American Nuclear Society, American Physical Society, American Society for Engineering Education, American Society of Agronomy, Acoustical Society of America (ASA), American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Society for Microbiology, American Society of Plant Biologists, American Vacuum Society, Association of American Universities, AVS – The Society for Science and Technology of Materials, Interfaces, and Processing, Battelle, Biophysical Society, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES), City College of CUNY, ClearPath Action, Coalition for Academic Scientific Computation (CASC), Consortium for Ocean Leadership, Computing Research Association, Council of Scientific Society Presidents, Cray Inc., Crop Science Society of America, The Ecological Society of America, Energy Sciences Coalition, Environmental Defense Fund, Fusion Industry Association, Fusion Power Associates, General Atomics, Geological Society of America, Health Physics Society, IBM, IEEE-USA, Jefferson Science Associates, LLC, Materials Research Society, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), OSA—The Optical Society, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Soil Science Society of America, Southeastern Universities Research Association, SPIE, Tech-X Corporation, The Honorable Paul M. Dabbar﹘Former Under Secretary for Science﹘U.S. Department of Energy, South Dakota Science and Technology Authority, U.S. Chamber of Commerce