The Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy, or ARPA-E, was established to "overcome the long-term and high-risk technological barriers in the development of energy technologies" ( P.L. 110-69 , §5012). This budget and appropriations tracking report summarizes the Administration's FY2016 budget request for ARPA-E and tracks legislative action on FY2016 appropriations. This table will be updated to include FY2016 Senate-passed amounts, as well as final enacted appropriations, when those numbers become available. ARPA-E: An Overview

Patterned after the widely lauded Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)—which played a key role in the development of critical technologies such as satellite navigation and the Internet—ARPA-E was established by the America COMPETES Act ( P.L. FY2016 Budget Request and Appropriations

The Obama Administration has requested $325 million for ARPA-E in FY2016, a $45 million (16%) increase over the FY2015 enacted level of $280 million. As passed by the House on May 1, 2015, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 ( H.R. 2028 ) would provide $280 million to ARPA-E in FY2016. 2028 , as passed by the House. The "Statement of Administration Policy" cites insufficient funding for ARPA-E as one of several reasons behind the Administration's opposition. As reported by the Senate Committee on Appropriations, H.R. 2028 would provide $291 million to ARPA-E in FY2016. Congress has funded ARPA-E at approximately $280 million since FY2012—with the exception of FY2013, when the process commonly known as sequestration (as well as enacted rescissions) reduced the agency's funding level to about $250 million.
The Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy, or ARPA-E, was established within the Department of Energy to "overcome the long-term and high-risk technological barriers in the development of energy technologies" (P.L. 110-69, §5012). Patterned after the widely lauded Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)—which played a key role in the development of critical technologies such as satellite navigation and the Internet—ARPA-E has supported more than 400 energy technology research projects since Congress first funded it in FY2009.
This budget and appropriations tracking report describes selected major items from the Administration's FY2016 budget request for ARPA-E and tracks legislative action on FY2016 appropriations to the agency. It also provides selected historical funding data. This report has been updated to include House-passed amounts for FY2016. It will be updated to include FY2016 Senate-passed amounts and final enacted FY2016 appropriations.
Overall, the Obama Administration has requested $325 million for ARPA-E in FY2016, a $45 million (16%) increase over the FY2015 enacted level of $280 million. The House-passed Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 (H.R. 2028) would provide $280 million to ARPA-E in FY2016. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a "Statement of Administration Policy" opposing the House-passed version of H.R. 2028. OMB cited a number of factors in its decision to oppose H.R. 2028 as passed by the House, including insufficient funding levels for ARPA-E. As reported by the Senate Committee on Appropriations, H.R. 2028 would provide $291 million to ARPA-E in FY2016.
With the exception of FY2013—when ARPA-E was subject to reductions as a result of certain rescissions and under the process commonly known as sequestration—Congress has funded ARPA-E at about $280 million since FY2012.