While the rest of the world charges ahead to secure a spot in the growing global clean energy market, the U.S. is faltering, but there is time to get the nation on the right course, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation said in a new report. “By investing in energy innovation and infrastructure, the United States can wrest back clean-energy markets, creating thousands of advanced manufacturing jobs and improving its trade balance,” the report says.
Moreover, the nation is well positioned for a turnaround. “The United States has a strong foundation for rapid progress. U.S. universities and national laboratories have developed many of the most promising new technological options on the horizon, and American companies such as Tesla, General Electric, and First Solar have successfully commercialized innovative products,” according to the report.
The report suggests five “principles for institutional change” for the incoming Donald Trump administration to instill in federal agencies: “Connect basic science with technology priorities; Reorient the national labs to pursue commercially relevant RD&D; Encourage more private investment in energy innovation; Support demonstration projects; and Complement ‘supply-push’ policies with ‘demand-pull’ policies.”