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Statement of Task

The National Academies propose a workshop to convene leaders from government, industry, academia, and nongovernmental organizations to consider how to best align federal efforts to match clean energy innovation needs. The workshop will consider the full clean energy innovation ecosystem from basic research and development through demonstration and commercial deployment. It will examine barriers and highlight successful strategies for accelerating clean energy innovation inside the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and across the federal government. The planning committee will be responsible for setting the agenda of the workshop, which may include topics such as:

• How could DOE support innovation in technologies that do not clearly fall under established fuel-specific offices?
• How could the federal government change its funding process to support more early-stage innovations and more high-risk, high-reward applications?
• How can the federal government better coordinate various mechanisms (e.g., research funding, tax incentives, regulatory requirements) to accelerate deployment of new technologies into the market?
• What policy and funding strategies by DOE, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and other federal agencies can help facilitate demonstration projects that have the potential for widespread deployment?

• What strategies can help leverage DoD investments in clean energy technology for applications in civilian sectors?
• What role do early commercial buyers have in energy innovation and how can the federal government incentivize innovation through the early stages of commercialization?