Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
countries to develop and deploy advanced energy technologies, we identified their
use of mandates, financial incentives, and other actions. We selected Brazil,
Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, and Spain because they have initiated major
nationwide programs to stimulate the deployment of advanced energy
technologies that have changed, or could change, their energy portfolios. We
found that the data we used to examine trends and states' efforts to develop and
deploy energy technologies to be sufficiently reliable for our purposes. We
conducted our work from October 2005 through October 2006 in accordance with
generally accepted government auditing standards. (See app. II for further
information about our scope and methodology.)
R
ESULTS IN
B
RIEF
Despite growing dependence on foreign energy sources, DOE's R and D
budget authority for renewable, fossil, and nuclear energy technologies declined
by over 85 percent (in real terms) between fiscal years 1978 and 2005.
Specifically, DOE's R and D budget authority dropped from about $5.5 billion (in
real terms) in fiscal year 1978 to $793 million in fiscal year 2005. Budget
authority for renewable, fossil, and nuclear energy R and D peaked in the late
1970s before falling sharply in the mid 1980s when crude oil prices returned to
lower levels. As funding has shrunk, DOE's R and D focus has narrowed. For
example, DOE's renewable R and D program has focused on ethanol, wind, and
solar technologies, making steady incremental progress in reducing their costs
over the past 29 years. DOE's fossil R and D program has focused primarily on
reducing harmful emissions of coal-fired power plants, working with industry to
make significant progress in reducing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollution
during the 1980s and 1990s. Currently, DOE is using coal gasification
technologies to reduce mercury and carbon dioxide emissions and achieve the
long-term goal of a “near-zero emissions” power plant. From 1978 through 1998,
DOE's nuclear R and D program focused on making incremental improvements in
nuclear power plant safety and efficiency. Since 1998, DOE's nuclear R and D
program shifted its focus to developing “next generation” nuclear facilities for
reprocessing spent fuel, developing advanced nuclear reactors that produce
hydrogen and reduce waste, and producing more efficient nuclear fuels. Faced
with competing R and D priorities and budget constraints, DOE's fiscal year 2007
budget proposed eliminating R and D funding for its geothermal, hydropower, oil,
and natural gas programs.
Advanced renewable, fossil, and nuclear energy technologies all face key
barriers to their development and deployment. Among renewable energy
