Trump unveils energy cuts in first budget proposal

Donald Trump has unveiled his government’s first full budget proposal, which outlines a series of planned energy cuts. Overall proposed spending for 2018 is quite similar to last year’s total figure at $4.1 trillion […]

Donald Trump has unveiled his government’s first full budget proposal, which outlines a series of planned energy cuts.

Overall proposed spending for 2018 is quite similar to last year’s total figure at $4.1 trillion (£3.16tn).

It sees increases in defence and security spending are offset with cuts to swathes of science, arts and research programmes, including the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) funding for water and wastewater treatment facilities.

The Trump administration believes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or private sector sources should fund this activity instead.

The budget also proposes to eliminate the Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) programme because it says the private sector is better positioned to finance disruptive energy technology research and development.

The advanced and electric vehicle industries may also suffer if plans to eliminate the Title XVII Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Programme and the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Programme are successful.

President Trump also proposes to terminate the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility nuclear fuel project and pursue an alternative method his government believes will be cheaper in the long term.

His advisers have postponed the decision on whether the US should leave the Paris climate agreement.

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