Minister, AECL's current budget stands at $103 million. The budget for nuclear facilities and activities is $66 million, while the budget for R&D is $37 million. The budget for the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has been increased by 20% this year and now stands at $94.4 million. A total of is $94 million has been earmarked for operating expenditures, while $420 million have been allocated for grants and contributions. Therefore, the total budget for nuclear energy is $814.4 million.
Earlier, in response to a question from Mr. Trost, you said that nuclear energy was clean energy. A mere $57 million per year is being earmarked for other forms of energy, including passive solar and active solar energy, photovoltaic energy, tidal energy, wind energy, biomass, mini hydro-electric power stations and, of course, geothermal energy. Can you explain to me the reason for the large discrepancy between the two budgets?
It's no secret that the different forms of energy that I just listed could meet 20% of Canada's energy requirements by the year 2020. Geothermal energy harnessed from deep within the earth is a newly discovered form of energy that could meet all of our energy requirements by the year 2025.
I will put my second question to you right away, as I imagine your response will be quite brief, based on what I've just told you. When you were here last time, you stated that LED bulbs were a new discovery and so forth. We thought that you would be investing in this technology, but you changed your mind and opted to go with fluorescent light bulbs.
I did some calculations to compare the figures that you gave us. There are between four and seven light bulbs in every home, in addition to 20 to 25 halogen lights, and additional outdoors lights. If you calculate the amount of heat that houses emit, bearing in mind that lights are on mostly in the winter, you will not manage cut CO2 emissions by 6 million tonnes per year, but only by a mere one million tonnes.
On which studies did you base your conclusions? Can you share them with us? To our way of thinking, it's absolutely impossible to achieve these reductions solely through the use of these small light bulbs.
Why do oil tax expenditures total in excess of $300 million per year, when a mere $57.8 million is being spent on renewable energy?Again, it's a matter of comparison. I'd also like to know how the $57 million budgeted will be spent.
Finally, if you think nuclear energy is so clean, as you stated earlier, are you prepared to tell us today that all nuclear waste could be stored in your riding?