The Energy and Water Development Fiscal Year 2006 appropriations approved by Congress provide $1,146,017,000 for the Department of Energy Office of Basic Energy Sciences -- the same as the budget request.

The appropriations includes $221,801,000 for The Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Energy Biosciences, the same as the Department’s budget request. Of that total, DOE plans to spend $32.5 million in Fiscal Year 2006 for the Energy Biosciences program as outlined in its budget request made in February.

The Office of Science, which includes Basic Energy Sciences, is funded at $3.633 billion, which represents an increase of $33 million over last year. The House approved the Conference Report for energy and water appropriations November 9. Senate approval was November 14 and the bill was signed into law (Public Law 109-103) by the President on November 19.

We appreciate the support of ASPB members who contacted their members of Congress in support of basic research, including basic plant and microbial research, sponsored by the DOE Office of Science.