Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
burning coal and oil will need to be addressed. Given these threats, the nation will
almost certainly need to make much more tangible progress than has been
achieved to date to diversify our energy portfolio by reducing conventional fossil
fuel usage and developing and deploying advanced energy technologies.
Since its inception in 1977, the Department of Energy (DOE) has had
leadership responsibility for energy research, development, and demonstration (R
and D) that enable the nation to deploy advanced energy technologies for meeting
future demands and diversify its energy portfolio.
1
During the past 29 years, the
Congress has provided DOE about $50 billion for R and D in renewable, fossil,
and nuclear energy technologies.
2
Regrettably, however, the nation is still not
currently positioned to deploy alternative energy technologies in the next 25 years
that will reverse our growing dependence on conventional fossil energy.
My testimony today is based on our December 2006 report on key challenges
to developing and deploying advanced energy technologies.
3
Specifically, my
testimony will address (1) funding trends for DOE's energy R and D program, (2)
key barriers to developing and deploying advanced energy technologies, and (3)
efforts of the states and six selected countries to develop and deploy advanced
energy technologies.
A
BSTRACT
DOE's budget authority for renewable, fossil, and nuclear energy R and D
declined by over 85 percent (in inflation-adjusted terms) from 1978 through 2005,
dropping from about $5.5 billion in fiscal year 1978 to $793 million in fiscal year
2005.
DOE's R and D efforts have made renewable technologies more cost
competitive, reduced harmful sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollution by coal-
fired power plants, and improved the safety and operating efficiency for nuclear
reactors. However, DOE and the energy industry still need to overcome enormous
technological and financial challenges before advanced energy technologies are
likely to supplant fossil fuels on a national scale. For example, because many
high-wind sites have been developed, for the wind industry to expand, it will need
to develop low-wind and offshore sites that require new designs, technologies,
and materials, and will face higher upfront capital costs. Similarly, development
and use of advanced coal gasification and carbon sequestration and storage
technologies to control harmful carbon dioxide emissions is dependent upon
additional technological breakthroughs and lowered costs.
