The Energy Sciences Coalition urges Congress to maintain $500 million in funding for ARPA-E in FY 2026, highlighting its proven success in advancing innovative energy technologies and supporting the commercialization of high-risk, high-reward projects that strengthen U.S. economic and energy security.
June 3, 2025
The Energy Sciences Coalition (ESC) urges Congress to appropriate $500 million in fiscal year (FY) 2026 for the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA- E) and not implement the 57% cut proposed in the Trump Administration’s FY 2026 budget request. Sustained and increased funding for ARPA-E is crucial to win the global technology race and ensure U.S. energy dominance.
ARPA-E is an integral component of the U.S. R&D ecosystem. It has a demonstrated, 15-year track record of success in helping commercialize high-risk, high-reward energy technologies. Modeled after the Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), ARPA-E’s key to success has been dynamic program managers with innovative science and technology backgrounds and flexibility to pivot to meet new challenges and opportunities, rigorous program review, active project management, and results-oriented commercialization goals. Since its inception, ARPA-E has supported 1,700 cutting-edge energy technology projects at small businesses, national labs, and research universities in nearly every state. 258 projects have attracted nearly $15 billion in private-equity follow-on funding, 167 new U.S.-based companies have been created, and 34 companies have market valuations of over $22 billion from mergers, acquisitions, and initial public offerings. Please see this fact sheet for additional information.
ARPA-E funds a broad range of early-stage energy technology in critical areas like grid reliability, nuclear fission and fusion, batteries and critical materials. A few recent successes include:
- a new manufacturing facility in Michigan for sodium-ion battery technology that is an alternative to lithium-ion batteries with more readily available materials,
- a long-duration geomechanical pumped storage system in Texas,
- a new methane emissions detection technology to find and help plug leaks for the oil and gas industry,
- a bioreactor that can convert methane to liquid fuel to supply remote locations, and
- a photocatalysis technology that uses light instead of heat to drive chemical reactions reducing energy cost for industrial processes.
We urge Congress to continue its strong, bipartisan support for ARPA-E to accelerate the commercialization of disruptive energy technologies for U.S. economic and energy security.