This chapter is about energy. It says the department should be renamed and do less. It wants many energy programs closed. It says the government should not pick which energy sources win. It wants climate taken out of energy decisions. It also wants more nuclear work for the Navy.
The document says “should”Who acts: Congress, PresidentHow: legislationp. 366 in the PDF
What the document says
“The Department of Energy should be renamed and refocused as the Department of Energy Security and Advanced Science (DESAS).”
The chapter proposes refocusing the department on five existing core missions, and separately that government should not pick winners and losers among energy resources or commercial technologies, which it says can crowd out innovation, devolve into cronyism and raise prices.
What the document actually says
“The Department of Energy should be renamed and refocused as the Department of Energy Security and Advanced Science (DESAS).”
That sentence, in plain words
The Energy Department should get a new name. It should also get a narrower job.
What this is about
This department handles energy and science. The book says it does too much else. It wants a new name and a smaller job.
The document says “should”Who acts: DOE, CongressHow: internal managementp. 369 in the PDF
What the document says
“Eliminate political and climate-change interference in DOE approvals of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.”
The chapter also asks Congress to reform the Natural Gas Act so that required approvals extend beyond nations with free trade agreements to all American allies. It says in the same passage that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is an economic regulator and should not make itself a climate regulator.
What the document actually says
“Eliminate political and climate-change interference in DOE approvals of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.”
That sentence, in plain words
Take politics and climate out of these decisions. They are about sending gas abroad.
What this is about
Gas can be cooled into liquid and shipped. The government must approve each sale abroad. The book says climate should not be part of that call.
The document says “should”Who acts: DOEHow: internal managementp. 370 in the PDF
What the document says
“The next Administration should stop using energy policy to advance politicized social agendas.”
The chapter names energy justice, Justice40 and diversity, equity and inclusion as programs it says can be transformed to promote politicized agendas. It says the department should focus on abundant, affordable, reliable and secure energy and should manage employees so that everyone is treated fairly on talent, skills and hard work.
What the document actually says
“The next Administration should stop using energy policy to advance politicized social agendas.”
That sentence, in plain words
Do not use energy rules to push causes. That should stop.
What this is about
Some energy programs aim to help certain communities. The book calls those social causes. It says energy policy should not be used that way.
Addresses the chapter's subject of removing what it calls politicized considerations from energy policy, by a different route: this order works through revocations and methodology instructions rather than through the departmental programs the chapter named.
The document says “should”Who acts: Congress, PresidentHow: legislationp. 374 in the PDF
What the document says
“The next Administration should work with Congress to eliminate all DOE applied energy programs including OE”
The chapter repeats this proposal office by office, asking for the elimination of the offices covering electricity, fossil energy and carbon management, nuclear energy and energy efficiency and renewable energy. It says taxpayer dollars should not subsidize preferred businesses and energy resources, which it says distorts the market and undermines reliability. It allows a possible exception for work related to basic science for new energy technology.
What the document actually says
“The next Administration should work with Congress to eliminate all DOE applied energy programs including OE”
That sentence, in plain words
Work with Congress to close these energy programs. All of them.
What this is about
The department runs programs that help bring energy technology to market. The book says private firms should do that. It wants the programs closed.
The document says “should”Who acts: Congress, PresidentHow: legislationp. 385 in the PDF
What the document says
“Eliminate ARPA-E. The next Administration should work with Congress to eliminate ARPA–E.”
The chapter says the agency is unnecessary, risks taxpayer dollars and interferes with risk-benefit decisions that should be made by the private sector. ARPA-E funds early-stage energy research thought too risky for private investment.
What the document actually says
“Eliminate ARPA-E. The next Administration should work with Congress to eliminate ARPA–E.”
That sentence, in plain words
Close ARPA-E. The next team should work with Congress to end it.
What this is about
ARPA-E pays for risky energy research. The idea is that firms will not fund it. The book says that is not the government's job.
The document says “should”Who acts: DOEHow: internal managementp. 383 in the PDF
What the document says
“Should not back any new loans or loan guarantees.”
The chapter says taxpayers should not be backing risky business ventures or politically preferred commercial enterprises, and asks that the department also seek to sunset its loan authority through Congress and eventually eliminate the Loan Programs Office.
What the document actually says
“Should not back any new loans or loan guarantees.”
That sentence, in plain words
Do not back any new loans. Do not guarantee any either.
What this is about
The department lends money for energy projects. It also promises to cover some private loans. The book says it should stop doing both.
The document says “should”Who acts: Congress, DOEHow: legislationp. 383 in the PDF
What the document says
“Should seek to sunset DOE’s loan authority through Congress and eventually eliminate the Loan Program Office.”
This accompanies the proposal to make no new loans, and follows the chapter's argument that taxpayers should not have their dollars at risk without gaining the economic rewards of success.
What the document actually says
“Should seek to sunset DOE’s loan authority through Congress and eventually eliminate the Loan Program Office.”
That sentence, in plain words
Ask Congress to end this power. Then close the loan office for good.
What this is about
The department has power to lend money. The book says Congress should take it away. Then the loan office would close.
The document says “should”Who acts: CongressHow: legislationp. 381 in the PDF
What the document says
“Congress should rescind any money not already spent.”
The chapter notes that the Grid Deployment Office oversees nearly $20 billion in new appropriations from the infrastructure act, including grid modernization grants, the transmission facilitation program and the civil nuclear credit program. It asks that grants properly focused on grid reliability and security be reassigned to the reformed cyber and energy security office.
What the document actually says
“Congress should rescind any money not already spent.”
That sentence, in plain words
Congress should take back any money not yet spent.
What this is about
Congress gave this office about $20 billion. Much of it is not spent yet. The book says Congress should take it back.
The document says “should”Who acts: Congress, DOEHow: legislationp. 379 in the PDF
What the document says
“Administration should work with Congress to modify or repeal the law mandating energy efficiency standards.”
The chapter says that before or instead of repeal, the department can give full force to provisions already in the law that limit regulatory overreach and guard against excessively stringent standards. It cites the Trump Administration's approach of prioritizing the few appliance rules likely to save consumers the most energy and ensuring new standards do not compromise product quality or remove features.
What the document actually says
“Administration should work with Congress to modify or repeal the law mandating energy efficiency standards.”
That sentence, in plain words
Work with Congress on the law behind appliance rules. Change it or repeal it.
What this is about
A law makes the government set energy rules for appliances. It covers things like washing machines. The book says the law should change or end.
The document says “should”Who acts: PresidentHow: executive orderp. 373 in the PDF
What the document says
“A good first step would be to reinstate an iteration of the Trump Administration’s Executive Order 13920”
Executive Order 13920 restricted the use of bulk power system equipment supplied by foreign adversaries. The chapter says the cyber and energy security office is properly focused on threats to the grid from inverter-based resources like wind and solar but needs to cover the whole energy system, including the link between natural gas and electricity generation, and cybersecurity.
What the document actually says
“A good first step would be to reinstate an iteration of the Trump Administration’s Executive Order 13920”
That sentence, in plain words
A good first step is bringing back one Trump order. Its number is 13920.
What this is about
One order limited foreign parts in the power grid. The worry was that they could be used to attack it. The book says that order should come back.
The document says “should”Who acts: Congress, DOEHow: legislationp. 372 in the PDF
What the document says
“Expand the U.S. Navy and develop new nuclear naval reactors”
The chapter says the nuclear arsenal needs to be updated and reinvigorated to deal with threats from China and Russia, that the National Nuclear Security Administration has primary responsibility for designing new warheads and maintaining the existing arsenal, and that it also develops nuclear propulsion reactors for the Navy.
What the document actually says
“Expand the U.S. Navy and develop new nuclear naval reactors”
That sentence, in plain words
Make the Navy bigger. Build new nuclear engines for its ships.
What this is about
Some Navy ships run on nuclear power. The book wants more ships. It also wants new engines designed for them.
The document says “should”Who acts: DOEHow: internal managementp. 371 in the PDF
What the document says
“The remaining 14 science and energy labs should focus on basic research projects”
The department oversees 17 national laboratories. The chapter says the three run by the National Nuclear Security Administration should continue on national security, and that the other 14 should leave demonstration and deployment of technology to the private sector, realigning to limit duplication and mission creep.
What the document actually says
“The remaining 14 science and energy labs should focus on basic research projects”
That sentence, in plain words
The other 14 labs should stick to basic research.
What this is about
The government runs 17 research labs. Three work on weapons. The book says the rest should study basics only. Firms would handle the rest.
The document says “should”Who acts: DOEHow: internal managementp. 376 in the PDF
What the document says
“CCUS programs should be left to the private sector to develop.”
Carbon capture, utilization and storage removes carbon dioxide from emissions or the air for storage or use. The chapter states that despite the expansion of the 45Q tax credit to $87 per ton most such technology remains economically unviable, and that if the office continues any research it should focus more on innovative utilization.
What the document actually says
“CCUS programs should be left to the private sector to develop.”
That sentence, in plain words
Let firms build this on their own. The government should step back.
What this is about
Carbon capture traps carbon before it reaches the air. The book says it costs too much to work. It says firms should pay for it, not taxpayers.
Recommendations on the department's name and mission, its applied energy offices, lending, the national laboratories, nuclear security, grid security, appliance standards and energy exports.
The chapter's office-by-office budget figures, its detailed treatment of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and many narrower program items.
This chapter proposes eliminating the same class of programs several times over, once for each office. Those are recorded as a single proposal with the offices named in the summary rather than as separate entries, which understates how many times the chapter makes the request.
