NOAA’s FY 2024 budget: Building a climate-ready nation

“The Biden-Harris Administration's Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 demonstrates strong support for NOAA’s goal of building a climate-ready nation where communities, individuals and industries have the authoritative and actionable information they need to address climate impacts,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “The FY 2024 Budget will allow NOAA to continue enhancing all aspects of our science and service delivery — from strengthening our observational infrastructure to working with vulnerable communities on resilience planning — while supporting sustainable economic growth through innovation and collaboration.” 

“While the release of the President's FY 2024 budget request is one part of the federal budget process, the proposed funding makes it clear that this is a period of action to tackle the climate crisis, here at NOAA and across the federal government. As we look to a new fiscal year, I am dedicated to enhancing our agency’s ability to provide the climate science, information and services needed to protect lives and livelihoods for all Americans,” said Spinrad.

NOAA’s FY 2024 Proposed Budget

For FY 2024, the NOAA requests $6.8 billion in discretionary appropriations, an increase of $450.5 million from the FY 2023 enacted budget. 

With this budget increase, NOAA will build a climate-ready nation by providing actionable environmental information that shapes smart policy and decision-making; continue to foster environmental stewardship and inform sustainable economic development, with a particular focus on the New Blue Economy; and integrate equity across the organization by improving capabilities and knowledge sharing and honing product development and service delivery in Tribal and underserved communities.

The FY 2024 Budget builds on investments in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) for Climate-Ready Coasts, climate data and services, and fisheries and protected resources. 

Building a climate-ready nation by Expanding NOAA's Authoritative Climate Products and Services

In FY 2024, NOAA requests an additional $78.2 million to implement Executive Order (EO) 14008 on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, building on investments in the BIL and IRA that will help NOAA build a climate-ready nation. Funding will support an earth system approach to enhance NOAA’s ability to provide the authoritative climate products and services that are the basis for decision-making in a changing world. 

In FY 2024, NOAA will focus research on precipitation predictions across weather and climate timescales, develop tools for decision makers facing acute climate impacts in the Arctic and advance the use of climate science in fisheries assessments and management. NOAA will also work closely with partners across the country to promote resilience to climate change — fostering engagement with our climate data and products, focusing on equity in service delivery and helping communities prepare for and respond to climate-driven extreme events. 

Providing Science and Data to Inform Economic Development 

NOAA will continue to foster environmental stewardship and optimize advances in science and technology to inform sustainable and equitable economic decisions, with a particular focus on the New Blue Economy — a knowledge-based approach to support ocean-based industries such as fisheries, transportation, shipping, renewable energy and marine recreation. 

In FY 2024, NOAA requests an increase of $81.4 million to bolster economic development through the expansion of offshore wind energy, the National Seafood Strategy, ocean and coastal mapping and charting, and the development of key information systems in our tsunami, weather and space observations infrastructure. These investments will also support the Administration’s American Jobs Plan and NOAA’s efforts to build a climate-ready nation by advancing U.S. leadership in research and development of critical technologies, and bolstering our information infrastructure to help communities access timely and reliable climate information. 

Equity and Workforce

In support of Administration policies described in EO 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, NOAA will integrate equity across the organization by improving capabilities and knowledge sharing, and honing product development and service delivery in tribal and underserved communities. 

In FY 2024, NOAA requests an increase of $9.1 million to improve capabilities and knowledge sharing in coastal communities, and invest in science and management efforts in underserved U.S. Pacific and Caribbean territories. These investments will also support a diverse fisheries management process and seafood sector through training and workforce development. 

Satellites

NOAA satellites are a critical component of NOAA’s mission, and the weather and climate data they provide are essential to the security, safety and economic prosperity of the nation. 

The FY 2024 budget requests an increase of $359.2 million for NOAA’s observational infrastructure, and underscores NOAA’s commitment to making time-sensitive, and cost-effective investments to ensure that the nation’s next-generation satellite systems expand the delivery of essential earth system observations to meet the evolving needs of a climate-ready nation. The FY 2024 budget will help NOAA better observe environmental phenomena connected to climate change-related impacts and patterns, and deliver products, information and services to inform decision-makers. 

Facilities

Safe and modern facilities are the foundation of NOAA’s science, service and stewardship mission. 

In FY 2024, NOAA requests an additional $55.7 million in order to address maintenance and repair for aging infrastructure and significantly improve facilities across the nation. These investments in maintenance, repairs and modernization will help NOAA sustain and evolve our science and service delivery capabilities to support current and future mission needs.