06/10/2026 at 10:00AM
The purpose of this hearing, is to examine the Department of Energy’s (DOE) fiscal year 2027 (FY27) budget request to Congress and examine the changing priorities this proposed budget would have on civilian research, DOE infrastructure, and the various other programs at the Department.
Witness:
- Christopher Wright, Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy
The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has jurisdiction over DOE’s civilian research, development, demonstration, and commercial application programs. In total, the Committee oversees $12.53 billion of the Department’s annual budget. DOE activities and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction include, but are not limited to: DOE’s National Laboratory system; basic science research; grid modernization and cybersecurity activities; fossil, nuclear, geothermal, and other advanced energy technologies; waste and environmental management research; international research projects; critical minerals research; pipeline research, development, and demonstration projects; and relevant oversight activities.
Of the $53.91 billion requested for DOE, $7.14 billion is proposed for Science, $8.18 billion for Environmental Management, $1.55 billion for Nuclear Energy, and $32.80 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration.
The President’s FY27 budget request for programs under the Under Secretary for Science totals $8.38 billion, an increase of $116 million from the $8.26 billion appropriated in FY26. Offices that fall under the Under Secretary for Science include the previously established Office of Science and Office of Technology Commercialization, formerly known as the Office of Technology Transitions (OTT). Three new offices were also established, including the Office of Fusion (OF), the Office of Artificial Intelligence and Quantum (AIQ), and the Office of Strategy and Technology Roadmaps (OSTR).
The President’s FY27 budget request for the Office of Science is $7.14 billion, a $1.11 billion decrease from the $8.25 billion appropriated in FY26. The request prioritizes Administration and Department activities focused on advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), quantum information sciences (QIS), fusion energy, high-performance computing, and high-energy physics. The FY27 House Energy and Water Appropriations bill provides $8.53 billion, a $275 million increase from FY26 and $1.39 billion more than the President’s budget request. In the President’s budget request, $1.2 billion for SC was reallocated to the Office of AIQ. The House Energy and Water bill left the Office of AIQ unfunded.
Of the 17 National Labs, 10 fall solely within the Office of Science: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Ames National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.
The Advanced Scientific Computing Research program maintains advanced computational infrastructure, accelerates U.S. computational and networking capabilities, and partners with programs within DOE to expedite innovation. The President’s FY27 budget request for ASCR is $1.10 billion. This is approximately an $11.88 million decrease from the FY26 appropriated level of $1.12 billion. The House Energy and Water Appropriations bill provides $1.18 billion, an increase of $59 million from FY26 and $71 million more than the President’s budget request.
The Basic Energy Sciences program supports basic scientific research to lay the foundation for new energy technologies and advance DOE’s mission in energy, environment, and national security. BES research emphasizes the discovery, design, and understanding of new materials, chemicals, biochemicals, and geological processes. The President’s FY27 budget request for BES is $2.15 billion. This is a decrease of approximately $530 million from the FY26 appropriated level of $2.68 billion. The House Energy and Water Appropriations bill provides BES with $2.78 billion, an increase of approximately $101 million from FY26 and $633 million more than the President’s budget request.
The Biological and Environmental Research program seeks to understand biological, earth, and environmental systems to advance the nation’s energy and infrastructure security.25 The program supported the Human Genome Project; pioneering initial research on atmospheric and ocean circulation; and biology underpinning the production of biofuels. The President’s FY27 budget request for BER is $395.97 million. This is a decrease of $458.03 million, compared to the FY26 appropriated level of $854 million. The House Energy and Water Appropriations bill provides BER with $800 million, a decrease of $54 million from FY26 and $404 million more than the President’s budget request.
The Fusion Energy Science mission is to drive scientific and technological innovation for the creation of a fusion energy source and to support the development of the fusion industry. The President’s FY27 budget request for FES is $755.25 million. This represents a decrease of $50.41 million, compared to the FY26 appropriated level of $805.66 million. The House Energy and Water Appropriations bill provides FES with $800 million, a decrease of $5.66 million from FY26 and $45 million more than the President’s budget request. The President’s budget requested $10 million for an Office of Fusion; however, the Energy and Water bill did not fund it and instead increased the FES budget.
High Energy Physics (HEP) seeks to understand the fundamental nature of matter, energy, space, and time at both the smallest and larges scales in the universe. The President’s FY27 budget request for HEP is $1.12 billion. This is a decrease of $114.77 million from the FY26 appropriated level of $1.24 billion. The House Energy and Water Appropriations bill provides HEP with $1.26 billion, an increase of $25 million from FY26 and $140 million more than the President’s budget request.
The Nuclear Physics (NP) program studies all forms of nuclear matter to solve the mystery of the basic constituents of matter and how they interact to form the elements and properties we observe.43 The President’s FY27 budget request for NP is $791.43 million. This is a decrease of $74.71 million, compared to the FY26 appropriated level of $866.14 million. The House Energy and Water Appropriations bill provides NP with $870 million, an increase of $4 million from FY26 and $79 million more than the President’s budget request.
DOE Isotope R&D and Production (DOE IP) has the sole federal government authority to produce isotopes for sale and distribution, often serving as either the sole source or one of the few sources of these isotopes worldwide. The President’s FY27 budget request for IRP is $168.57 million. This is a decrease of $1.43 million from the FY26 appropriated level of $170 million. The House Energy and Water Appropriations bill maintain DOE IP funding at the FY26 level of $170 million.
The mission of the Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) is to expand the commercial and national security impact of the DOE research investments. The President’s FY27 budget request for OTC is $26.56 million. This is an increase of $13.56 million, compared to the FY26 appropriated level of $13 million.
The Office of Strategy and Technology Roadmaps (OSTR) was established during the November 2025 DOE reorganization to coordinate all Department of Energy activities related to critical and emerging technologies and provide strategic guidance for DOE’s R&D through technology road mapping. The President’s FY27 budget request is $3 million.
The President’s FY27 budget request would provide roughly $5.10 billion for the Under Secretary of Energy’s portfolio in the Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s jurisdiction.
The Office of Electricity (OE)’s mission is to strengthen, optimize, and grow the electricity system to ensure the grid delivers affordable, reliable, and secure energy. The President’s FY27 budget request for OE is $203.48 million, a $56.27 million decrease from the $259.75 million appropriated in FY26. The House Energy and Water Appropriations bill maintains OE current funding level at $235 million.
The Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)’s mission is to advance nuclear energy science and technology to meet U.S. energy, environmental, and economic needs. Under the President’s Budget Request, NE will be the largest component of the Under Secretary of Energy’s portfolio. The President’s FY27 budget request for NE is $1.53 billion, a $251 million decrease from the $1.79 billion appropriated in FY26. The House Energy and Water Appropriations bill provide NE with $1.80 billion $266 million more than the President’s budget request.
The Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO)’s mission is to unleash the full potential of America’s hydrocarbon and geothermal resources to provide affordable, reliable, and secure energy using scientific and economically driven decisions. Formerly known as the Fossil Energy and Carbon Management Office (FECM), this office gained the geothermal office, and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), while giving up most of the critical mineral R&D that FECM had previously conducted. The President’s budget request for FY27 is $676.04 million, a $110.96 million decrease from the $787 million appropriated in FY26. The House Energy and Water Appropriations bill provide $700 million in funding for HGEO, $24 million more than the President’s budget request.
The Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) leads the Department’s efforts to strengthen the security and resilience of the U.S. energy infrastructure against all threats and hazards. It also serves as the DOE lead for the Sector Risk Management Agency for the energy sector. The President’s FY27 budget request for CESER is $160.17 million, a $29.82 million decrease from the $190 million appropriated in FY26. The House Energy and Water Appropriations bill maintain CESER’s current funding level at $190 million.
The Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF) manages the Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program, which provides access to debt capital for high-impact, large-scale infrastructure projects and commercial-scale deployments in the U.S. The President’s FY27 request proposes $59.27 million, an increase of $24.27 million from the FY26 appropriated level of $35 million. The House Energy and Water Appropriations bill maintains the current funding level for EDF at $35 million.
Advanced Research Projects – Energy (ARPA-E) was established in 2009 by the America COMPETES Act and is modeled after the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). With this model, ARPA-E is tasked to target high-risk, high-reward energy technologies that are too early for private sector investment. These projects focus on transformational energy initiatives that can be significantly advanced with a modest amount of funding. The President’s FY27 request for ARPA-E is $200.29 million, a decrease of $149.71 million from the FY26 appropriated level of $350 million. The House Energy and Water Appropriations bill provides $300 million, $50 million less than the FY26 appropriated level but $100 million more than the President’s budget request.
The Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI)’s mission is to advance the U.S. critical minerals supply chain and accelerate nextgeneration energy technologies to strengthen national security and power the future. Established in November 2025, it includes all program activity from EERE, MESC, OCED, SCEP, FEMP, as well as the Mineral Production and Processing Technologies program from the former Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. The President’s FY27 budget request for CMEI is $1.12 billion, a $1.91 billion decrease from the $3.03 billion appropriated in FY26. The House Energy and Water Appropriations bill provides $1.85 billion, $730 million more than the President’s budget request.