Central Bank supplied $76.9 billion to Treasury in 2011

The central bank transferred $76.9 billion in earnings to the U.S. Treasury during 2011. The transfer is slightly less than the record $79.3 billion transferred in 2010.

The Federal Reserve said it earned $83.6 billion in interest income from its massive portfolio of securities, which includes Treasury debt and mortgage securities. The Fed has been buying assets as part of a quantitative-easing program, an unconventional monetary policy designed to lower long-term interest rates and boost economic growth.

The transfers in the past two years are about twice the pre-quantitative-easing levels. Under Fed policy, residual Fed earnings are distributed to Treasury after covering expenses.