Trump cuts BOEM’s renewable energy budget

The US President Donald Trump has proposed a $2.6 million budget reduction for renewable energy activities of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for the fiscal year 2018.

President Trump has set aside $171 million for the management of offshore energy and mineral resources in the fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget proposal for BOEM.

When it comes to BOEM’s renewable energy activities, a total of $21.7 million is being requested for the FY 2018.

This represents a net decrease of $2.6 million from the last year’s budget for BOEM’s renewable energy efforts.

BOEM’s environmental research has been set for budget cuts, along with BOEM’s competitive leasing auctions activities that have been allocated $630,000 less than last year.

The bureau said the reduction would result in it funding only one planned sale, which could slow the advancement of offshore renewable energy commercial leasing activities on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

The FY 2018 budget request for the bureau focuses on core program responsibilities, such as the National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, offshore renewable energy leasing efforts, marine mineral resource management, and environmental analyses and studies in support of these programs.