Description:
H.R. 4230 would require the Department of Energy (DOE), along with the Office of Science and Technology Policy and other federal agencies, to encourage the development of technologies that increase the competitiveness of industry and manufacturing and reduce emissions in the nonpower industrial sector. Under the program, DOE would award grants, sponsor demonstration projects, and provide technical assistance. The bill also would establish a committee consisting of members from the public and private sectors to advise DOE on the program, develop a strategic plan, and report results. For this estimate, CBO assumes that the bill will be enacted in fiscal year 2020. Under that assumption, DOE could incur some costs in 2020, but CBO expects that most of the costs would be incurred in 2021 and later. Any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. H.R. 4230 would authorize the appropriation of specified amounts for each year from 2020 through 2024 for DOE to sponsor demonstration projects. To estimate the cost of implementing other provisions in the bill, CBO considered the costs of similar DOE programs. For example, DOE allocated about $100 million annually in recent years for research and development programs that focus on manufacturing processes. Similarly, the department allocated between $3 million and $20 million annually for comparable technical assistance programs, and it allocated less than $500,000 annually for comparable advisory committees.
