You pointed out that the amount of federal research funding for energy hasn't changed much since the oil crisis of the 1970s. (dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com)
What followed were not cuts in federal research funding, but sustained increases. (newscientist.com)
But the problem has been growing — out of public view — for several decades, probably in annual budget negotiations for federal research agencies at the top of the research food chain. (judithcurry.com)