WASHINGTON — The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden needs more funding, especially as the country pushes for renewable sources of energy, Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., told Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman Thursday at a hearing of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
“At a time with oil prices approaching $100 a barrel, toxic greenhouse- gas emissions increasing and a mounting trade deficit exacerbated by our reliance on unstable and even dangerous regimes for our energy, one would think that the federal government would make it a priority to bolster its primary green-energy research lab,” DeGette said.
The Bush administration’s proposed budget for NREL in 2009 is $228 million, down from $293 million in 2008. But the lab received roughly the $65 million difference late last year because it needed advance funding for a building. The lab’s proposed budget is about the same as last year after that is taken into account.
![[prison 19] Caption: This is Cellhouse 1, Pod A, from ground level inside the Sterling Correctional Facility which is located outside of Sterling, Colorado Thursday afternoon. Photographer: LEW SHERMAN Title: FREELANCE Credit: SPECIAL TO THE POST City: Sterling State: CO Country: USA Date: 19990617 ObjectName: prison 19 Keyword: PUBDATE____1999_06_22](/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/20151207__denverpostp1.jpg?w=538 "20151207__denverpost~p1.jpg")
