Federal 2009 Budget a Mixed Bag for Green Building

In February 2008, President George W. Bush sent his proposed budget to Congress, which, if passed, would deliver a blow to some programs aimed at energy efficiency and renewable energy even as it increases the funding for others.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) would lose all of its funding for two programs: the Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides funding and technical assistance to state weatherization programs for low-income families, and the Renewable Energy Production Incentive, which provides financial incentives for electricity produced from renewable sources. The budget also cuts funding for solar energy programs by $12 million from 2008 levels (about 7%). The Building Technologies program, however, which promotes high-performance buildings, would gain $15 million over 2008 levels (about 14%).The 2009 budget, which is a starting point for the legislative process, is available at www.whitehouse.gov/budget/.