Washington – U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman will take a tour Friday of a new science and technology facility at Golden’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
The complex was slated for budget cuts until President Bush and other politicians took note.
Bodman plans to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony and then speak about NREL’s role in promoting alternative energy.
He’ll be joined by Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo.
“This newest facility at NREL will only further its reputation as the crown jewel of our renewable energy labs,” said Andrew Nannis, Salazar’s press secretary.
Salazar and other Colorado lawmakers have pushed Congress to restore the laboratory’s proposed budget cuts and provide money for the new facility.
In February, Bush toured the lab and said a proposed 8 percent budget cut resulted from a mistake in the appropriation process.
“I recognize there has been some mixed signals when it comes to funding,” Bush said then.
“As a result of the appropriation process, the money may not end up where it was supposed to have gone,” he said. “I think we’ve cleared up those discrepancies.”
Colorado Rep. Mark Udall, who was critical of Bush for not proposing enough funds for NREL during the February visit, indicated he was more hopeful about Friday’s tour by Salazar and Bodman.
“I hope the visit signals a commitment by the Bush administration to make necessary investments in renewable energy technologies,” Udall said.
