A road map to cleaner energy
After studying U.S. energy innovation for three years, Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) researchers recommended Tuesday nearly doubling research and development spending and pushing private industry to adopt new technology by putting a price on carbon emissions. The report, “Transforming U.S. Energy Innovation,” was released by the Energy Technology Innovation Policy research group in the Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. It stemmed at least partly from surveys of U.S. businesses involved in energy innovation and of 100 experts on energy technology. The surveys sought to identify promising areas of energy innovation and the best strategies to promote their adoption by private industry. The report contains dozens of findings and recommendations in four key areas: investing in federal energy research, promoting adoption of energy innovations by the private sector, managing federal energy research institutions, and strengthening partnerships with other countries. The pressures of global climate change mean that the transition to...