	Introduction and Overview

The Energy and Water Development appropriations bill includes funding for civil works projects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the Department of the Interior's Central Utah Project (CUP) and Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), the Department of Energy (DOE), and a number of independent agencies, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). President Trump submitted his FY2018 budget proposal to Congress on May 23, 2017. The budget requests for agencies included in the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill totaled $34.189 billion (including offsets)—$4.261 billion (11.1%) below the FY2017 appropriation. The largest proposed increase was for DOE nuclear weapons activities, up by $994 million (10.7%). For the first time since FY2010, under the request, DOE would have received new funding to pursue an NRC license for a proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, NV, totaling $120 million (including funding for interim nuclear waste storage). DOE science programs would have been cut by $920 million (17.1%). After passing a series of continuing resolutions, Congress largely rejected the Administration's proposed FY2018 budget cuts in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 ( P.L. 115-141 ), which was signed into law March 23, 2018. Most of the Administration's proposed reductions in nuclear and fossil energy R&D were not agreed to by the House, nor was the proposed elimination of the ARC. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill (S. 1609, S.Rept. For FY2017, funding for energy and water development programs was provided by Division D of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 ( P.L. The Senate Appropriations Committee would have provided a 2.1% increase for the Corps and a 1.4% boost for Reclamation from their FY2017 levels. Termination of Energy Efficiency Grants

The FY2018 budget request proposed to terminate both the DOE Weatherization Assistance Program and the State Energy Program (SEP). Proposed Cuts in Energy R&D

Appropriations for DOE research and development on energy efficiency, renewable energy, nuclear energy, and fossil energy would have been cut from $3.497 billion in FY2017 to $1.619 billion (53.7%) under the Administration's FY2018 budget request. The proposed energy R&D reductions were not included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which instead increased R&D funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy by 11.2% over the FY2017 level, nuclear energy by 18.5%, and fossil energy by 8.8%. Nuclear Waste Management

The Administration's budget request would have provided new funding for the first time since FY2010 for a proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, NV, but it was not included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2018. Under the Administration request, DOE was to receive $110 million to seek an NRC license for the repository, and NRC would have received $30 million to consider DOE's application. DOE would also have received $10 million to develop interim nuclear waste storage facilities. The Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2018 provided $122 million for the project. Elimination of Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy

The Trump Administration FY2018 budget would have eliminated the Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy (ARPA-E), which funds research on technologies that are determined to have potential to transform energy production, storage, and use. However, funding for ARPA-E was increased by 15.5% by the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2018—to $353.3 million. The House approved the Administration's proposal to terminate ARPA-E, but the Senate Appropriations Committee recommended that ARPA-E receive a $24 million increase over FY2017, to $330 million. The House approved the Administration's funding request. Surplus Plutonium Disposition

The Mixed-Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF), which would make fuel for nuclear reactors out of surplus weapons plutonium, has faced sharply escalating construction and operation cost estimates. The Obama Administration had also recommended the dilute-and-dispose option. The National Defense Authorization Act for FY2018 ( P.L. Congressional Hearings

The following hearings were held by the Energy and Water Development subcommittees of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees on the FY2018 budget request.
The Energy and Water Development appropriations bill provides funding for civil works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps); the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and Central Utah Project (CUP); the Department of Energy (DOE); the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); and several other independent agencies. DOE typically accounts for about 80% of the bill's total funding.
President Trump submitted his FY2018 budget proposal to Congress on May 23, 2017. The budget requests for agencies included in the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill totaled $34.189 billion (including offsets)—$4.261 billion (11.1%) below the FY2017 level. DOE nuclear weapons activities were proposed for a $994 million increase (10.7%). Final FY2018 funding for energy and water development programs was generally increased by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141), which was signed by the President on March 23, 2018.
Major Energy and Water Development funding issues for FY2018 include
Water Agency Funding Reductions. The Trump Administration requested reductions of 17.2% for the Corps and 14.3% for Reclamation for FY2018. Those cuts were largely rejected by the House, the Senate Appropriations Committee, and the FY2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act. Termination of Energy Efficiency Grants. DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program and State Energy Program would have been terminated under the FY2018 budget request. The cuts were not included in the Consolidated Appropriation, and were also not approved by the House or by the Senate committee. Reductions in Energy Research and Development. Under the FY2018 budget request, DOE research and development appropriations would have been reduced for energy efficiency and renewable energy (EERE) by 69.6%, nuclear energy by 30.8%, and fossil energy by 58.1%. The House approved most of the reductions in EERE research and development (48.1% cut from FY2017 enacted levels) but largely did not follow the proposed nuclear and fossil energy reductions (4.7% and no cut, respectively). The Senate committee largely did not follow the proposed reductions in EERE, nuclear energy, and fossil energy and instead included reductions of 7.3%, 10.9%, and 16.6%, respectively. Energy R&D funding was increased 12.9% by the FY2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act. Nuclear Waste Repository. The Administration's budget request would have provided new funding for the first time since FY2010 for a proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, NV. DOE would have received $110 million to seek an NRC license for the repository, and NRC would have received $30 million to consider DOE's application. DOE would also have received $10 million to develop interim nuclear waste storage facilities. The requested funding for Yucca Mountain and interim storage was not included in the FY2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The House had approved the request but the Senate panel had not. Elimination of Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy (ARPA-E). The Trump Administration proposed to eliminate funds for new research projects by ARPA-E, and called for terminating the program after currently funded projects were completed. The ARPA-E termination was approved by the House. The Senate committee recommended against the termination, providing $330 million—$24 million above the FY2017 level. The FY2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act increased funding for ARPA-E by 15.5%—to $353.3 million. Plutonium Disposition Plant Termination. Construction of the Mixed-Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF), which would make fuel for nuclear reactors out of surplus weapons plutonium, was proposed for termination under the Trump Administration request. The Obama Administration had recommended termination since FY2015, but Congress had provided funds to continue construction. For FY2018, the House bill would have continued construction, but the Senate panel accepted the Administration request to terminate the project. The FY2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act conforms to provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-91) that allow DOE to pursue an alternative plutonium disposal program if sufficient cost savings are projected.