Fossil Energy Encouragement and Accountability Act of 2014

the United States depends on fossil resources for over 80 percent of its energy needs;

the Department of Energy’s Fossil Energy Research and Development program focuses on developing affordable, safe, and clean mechanisms to enhance and utilize domestic fossil energy resources in the most efficient manner;

the investment in this program supports an existing research and development portfolio of over 1,000 projects that includes nearly $7 billion in private sector-contributed costs and that represents over 55,000 job years;

the Fossil Energy Research and Development program is responsible for developing innovative control technologies that are now in operation on three out of every four coal-burning power plants in the United States;

as a result of these technology innovations, emissions of criterion pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide have decreased by an average of 85 percent, which eliminated problems associated with acid rain;

hydraulic fracturing of natural gas shale is a product of research and technological innovations initiated under the Department of Energy’s Fossil Energy Research and Development program;

the Fossil Energy Research and Development program is currently developing advanced technologies to support a competitive future for our low-cost coal and gas resources for use in power generation and industrial applications;

these advanced technologies will support new power platforms of the future that will be highly efficient, including technologies such as ultra supercritical materials production, advanced gas turbines, gasification platforms that can also enable the expansion of domestic fuels, the liquids and chemical industry, and advanced energy platforms including pressured oxycoal combustion and chemical looping; and

it is important that the Department of Energy continue to develop these technologies and have sufficient funds to ensure that a diverse portfolio of options are available to ensure that the United States can compete in a clean energy future, one which will include significant fossil fuel resources.

$435,000,000 shall be for coal research and development;

$171,000,000 shall be for program direction;

$100,000,000 shall be for natural gas and oil research and development;

$17,000,000 shall be for plant and capital equipment; and

$11,000,000 shall be for environmental restoration.

transform any element of the National Energy Technology Laboratory into a government-owned, contractor-operated laboratory, or to consider or plan for any such transformation;

consolidate or close any element of the National Energy Technology Laboratory; or

transfer National Energy Technology Laboratory human resources functions from any laboratory.