United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1996-08-16 monographic deposited born digital 40 p. GA 1.13:RCED-96-203 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-203 P0b002ee180398ce2 f:rc96203 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-203 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-203 RCED-96-203 Energy research Budget cuts State programs Cost sharing (finance) Electric energy Electric utilities Energy industry Research and development costs Competition Other Written Product RCED Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on: (1) changes in the amount of funding for electricity-related research and development (R&D); and (2) the impact of these changes on the types of R&D being funded.<p/>GAO found that: (1) Department of Energy (DOE) funding for electricity-related R&D increased between fiscal years (FY) 1993 and 1995, but began to decrease by FY 1996 due to budget constraints and congressional appropriation committees' recommendations; (2) the electric utility industry began to reduce R&D funding in 1993, and R&D managers expect the decreases to continue as the industry prepares for deregulation and increased competition; (3) some state programs are also experiencing funding reductions, primarily due to decreases in contributions from utilities, oil overcharge revenues, DOE funding, and state appropriations; (4) proprietary data and industry restructuring make it difficult to assess the current level or project future levels of industry spending on electricity-related R&D; (5) many utilities are shifting their R&D focus from collaborative, long-term projects to proprietary, short-term projects to gain a competitive edge; (6) some R&D projects are being delayed, scaled down, or cancelled as a result of the funding reductions; and (7) DOE, industry, and state government officials who expressed concerns about electricity-related R&D funding suggested such alternative funding sources as a state-administered surcharge on all retail sales of electricity and a national wires charge on all electricity entering the transmission grid. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-203/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-203.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-203/pdf/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-203.pdf GAO/RCED-96-203 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-203 Other Written Product GAO/RCED-96-203; Federal Research: Changes in Electricity-Related R&D Funding; Energy research Budget cuts State programs Cost sharing (finance) Electric energy Electric utilities Energy industry Research and development costs Competition