S. 1799 would authorize the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a program to focus funding for applied research and development on technologies that exhibit promising potential for commercial use. Under the bill, DOE facilities—such as national laboratories—would use such funds to promote the maturation of such technologies. The bill would establish maximum amounts of funding that could be devoted to specific types of projects. It also would specify that amounts authorized to be appropriated, under current law, for DOE’s existing Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) could be used to carry out the bill.
CBO estimates that implementing S. 1799 would not significantly affect the federal budget. The bill’s requirements are largely consistent with existing activities funded by the TCF, which receives 0.9 percent of the total amount appropriated to DOE for applied research, development, demonstration and commercial application of energy-related technologies. (For 2018, such amounts total about $20 million.) Using information from DOE, CBO expects that while the proposed limits on project awards under S. 1799 could potentially reduce the amount of funding devoted to specific technologies, the bill would not significantly affect the overall magnitude of such spending.
Enacting S. 1799 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting S. 1799 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
S. 1799 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
