Washington, DC – Today, Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) applauded the release of a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine on innovation for clean energy.
Among its findings, the report recommends that “the U.S. federal government and state governments should significantly increase their emphasis on supporting innovation in increasingly clean electric power generation technologies;” in part, by expanding research, development and commercialization of increasingly clean energy resources and technologies.
The report—The Power of Change: Innovation for Development and Deployment of Increasingly Clean Electric Power Technologies—was originally requested by former Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in 2011. The following year, Senator Coons led a letter signed by 27 Senators to urge DOE to provide funding for the report.
“We can no longer ignore the reality that a cleaner energy future is a critical asset for the long-term viability of our economy and the very survival of our planet,” said Senator Coons. “The U.S. must adopt policies to ensure we can capture these markets in the future. That’s why the National Academies of Sciences’ study on market adoption of advanced clean energy technologies released today is so important. This study conducted by an independent, non-partisan expert committee provides a thorough policy roadmap for Congress, federal agencies, states, and the private sector. These recommendations provide direction to scale up the deployment of a broad range of energy efficiency and clean energy options. I am particularly encouraged that the report validates the importance of energy efficiency, regional innovation approaches, and expanded Master Limited Partnership financing, among other recommendations. I want to applaud the commitment made by Chairman Chad Holliday and other members of the NAS committee in producing this critical study.”
Senator Coons believes these recommendations can inform negotiations as members of the conference committee begin work reconciling differences between the Senate and House energy bills.