Top executives of 11 energy companies and three business groups are asking members of Congress to preserve federal funding for energy research and development amid spending cuts proposed by the Trump administration.

In a June 7 letter to House and Senate budget and energy committee leaders, the executives say the successful development of new energy technologies depends on effective partnerships between public and private sectors.

The Trump administration's proposed fiscal 2018 budget would cut funding at the Department of Energy's Office of Science by more than 15 percent, to $4.5 billion, Energy and Environment News reported. Fossil research and development, including research on carbon capture technology, would see a cut from more than $600 million to $280 million. http://bit.ly/2skIUTY

"As populations grow over the next several decades, billions more will need access to clean, affordable and reliable energy," the executives said. "Federal investments at crucial stages in the innovation cycle provide essential support to private sector efforts in developing energy technologies and resources we can export to meet these needs."

U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Donohue, Nuclear Energy Institute CEO Maria Korsnick and American Gas Association Dave McCurdy were among the signatories, which also included the heads of Lockheed Martin, Exelon, Shell Oil and DuPont.

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