Congress is poised to approve more coal research and development dollars than President Obama would like, according to appropriations bills passed in House and Senate panels this week.

While the White House fiscal 2013 spending blueprint would ramp up fossil energy research and development dollars, it proposes deep cuts for coal. Coal boosters expressed concerns about the government's ability to promote "clean coal" technology with that amount of funding (Greenwire, Feb. 14).

Shannon Angielski, associate director of the Coal Utilization Research Council, reacted to the president's budget in an interview earlier this year: "It didn't come as a surprise. What we look to is how Congress views this."

Indeed, Congress is signaling a different approach through energy appropriations bills passed in House and Senate panels this week.

The White House would boost fossil energy research and development about 21 percent, from $346.7 million to $420.6 million.

But Senate appropriators approved $460.6 million for fossil energy research and development. The House spending panel topped that by asking for $554 million.

"The nation faces challenging fiscal realities, yet this is a fair bill that recognizes our highest responsibilities -- the defense of our country and support for American innovation and competitiveness," said Energy and Water Subcommittee Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.).

Obama asked for 25 percent in cuts to coal research, from $368.4 million to $275.9 million.

In comparison, Senate appropriators only cut spending for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and power systems research, including work at the National Energy Technology Laboratory, from $368.6 million to $301.6 million.

"This bill makes responsible investments in critical water infrastructure projects, clean energy technologies and nonproliferation and nuclear weapons programs," Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, said in a statement about the overall bill.

House appropriators, friendlier to coal interests, would boost the CCS and power systems spending number to $384.3 million, higher than fiscal 2012 and more than $100 million higher than the White House plan.

When it comes to CCS spending alone, the White House and the Senate would both spend about $156 million in fiscal 2013. The House, however, would keep funding at around $184 million.