New DOE Foundation Should Think Big
The transition to cleaner, more secure energy that remains affordable and reliable is one of the cardinal challenges for the U.S. in the 21st century. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) carries the heavy burden of leading the national effort to address it. But as David Hart writes in Real Clear Energy, DOE now has a new partner to help bear the load: the Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation (FESI).
Hart concludes FESI’s establishment is a vital initial step, but its value will depend on what happens next. FESI’s new Board of Directors should take immediate actions that have immediate impact, but more importantly, put the foundation on a path to expand that impact exponentially in the coming years. That means thinking big from the start, identifying unique high-leverage opportunities, and systematically building the capacity to realize them. Congress should support these ambitions by providing the funding called for in FESI’s authorizing statute. If those things are done right, non-federal resources and meaningful results will follow.
