The Role of Science in Achieving Clean Energy Goals for the Future

Clean energy is an investment in the future of our planet. The investment requires the best scientific minds working on difficult challenges.  Cross disciplinary work with engineers and scientists is the first hurdle to cross and will be necessary to better harness scientific breakthroughs and put them to work.   But success will require more than scientific breakthroughs: it will require policies that will allow for a new energy system to develop, and it will require the mobilization of a significant amounts of private sector capital.  Given the complexity and scope of the necessary market transformation, the level of cooperation and partnership between market players, regulators, public officials and the consumer will be unprecedented.  It will be necessary to start with a clear vision of the desired end state, something that to date has been elusive at the domestic Federal Level.  Then there will need to be alignment of public and private sector investments and consensus on the goals of the national energy R&D agenda.  A systems level perspective will be needed: one that encourages investments in truly disruptive game changing technologies and then accelerates their acceptance in the marketplace.  Ultimately, the market will decide on the energy technology mix, but public/private partnerships will help shape the market conditions.   As we face an ever increasing amount of uncertainty ahead, what appears to be clear is that innovation and partnerships are essential ingredients for finding new approaches to how we generate and consume energy, and how quickly and efficiently an energy transformation can occur.