Energy Secretary Steven Chu is headed back to Capitol Hill this week to defend his agency's hefty $29.5 billion spending request for fiscal 2012.

Chu will testify tomorrow before the House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, where he will likely meet strong Republican resistance to his agency's proposed 12 percent increase over fiscal 2010 spending levels.

With the earthquake and tsunami disaster unfolding in Japan, lawmakers also likely will ask Chu for the latest information on the emergency at the country's nuclear plants. On Friday, President Obama said he had tasked Chu "to be in close contact with their personnel to provide any assistance that's necessary, but also to make sure that if, in fact, there have been breaches in the safety system on these nuclear plants, that they're dealt with right away."

The hearing comes as lawmakers are still embroiled in debate about spending levels for the current fiscal year. Discussions are ongoing, but Republicans and Democrats are currently at a stalemate over spending levels.

DOE was one of the few agencies that was awarded spending increases in the president's 2012 budget request, but Republican lawmakers anxious to trim federal spending will likely raise concerns about the request.

"We're not going to have any more money to spend," Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.), chairman of the committee, told reporters last week in the Capitol.

The agency's request contains spending boosts for nuclear energy programs, renewable energy research and development and clean energy technology research. The increases would come at the expense of programs that research traditional energy sources and would accompany elimination of oil and gas industry tax incentives.

For example, energy efficiency and renewable energy programs would see a 44 percent increase over fiscal 2010 levels, while fossil energy programs would be cut 45 percent.

The fossil fuel cuts faced tough criticism from both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate last month, but House Republicans anxious to trim spending may endorse those cuts and recommend more to the clean energy programs.

Frelinghuysen said the limited funds awarded to DOE in 2012 by the House will likely be directed toward the agency's nuclear stockpile.

"I don't think they're going to give us any more money, and if we focus anywhere, it's going to be our responsibilities to ensure that we have a reliable nuclear stockpile -- that defense portion -- and the naval reactors," Frelinghuysen said. "Not that the department's general mandates aren't important, but unbeknownst to many members of Congress, we have some pretty major responsibilities for ensuring the reliability of that stockpile."

"I think there's been a desire of both members of the Senate and House to make further investments, and I think we're going to continue to do that," he added.

Frelinghuysen added that Republicans would be respectful of Chu but would not be likely to budge on big spending increases.

"He's extremely likeable and we'll treat him with respect, but there are a lot of things going on, a lot of issues that people have on their minds," Frelinghuysen said. "We'll cover the whole waterfront."

Other issues that may crop up during tomorrow's hearing include gas prices and the proposed Yucca Mountain closure, Frelinghuysen said. Any discussions of nuclear energy will likely also probe Japan's nuclear leak and the ramifications it could have on the U.S. nuclear sector.

During Senate hearings on the agency's budget request, Chu has faced tough questions from lawmakers about the agency's decision to focus research investment on new energy technologies, while oil and gasoline prices are skyrocketing thanks to political unrest in the Middle East.

He is also perennially berated by Republicans for cutting funding to the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository project. During a budget hearing in the subcommittee last year, Frelinghuysen told Chu he did not think he had the legal authority to shut down the nuclear waste repository (E&E Daily, March 25, 2010).

Chu knows his agency's request faces an uphill battle in the Republican-controlled House.

"We'll take it a day at a time," he said last month of the proposal's chances of progressing on Capitol Hill (E&ENews PM, Feb. 14).

Schedule: The hearing is tomorrow at 10 a.m. in 2359 Rayburn.

Witness: Energy Secretary Steven Chu.