In a recent Op-ed for AOL Energy, ASP Policy Analyst Nick Cunningham and Senior Fellow Andrew Holland discuss the need for long-term investments in R&D to help develop next-generation energy technologies. The U.S. has a history of bringing revolutionary technologies from the lab to the commercial market. This can be done again, particularly with fusion energy, but Congress is considering drastic cuts to the science R&D budget. From the article:

Consistent R&D support allowed new technologies to move through the stages of innovation – from basic and applied research, to prototyping, demonstration, commercialization, until they are finally market competitive. This process often takes decades, so returns are uncertain and dispersed, meanwhile, costs are certain, immediate, and focused, – so the private sector underinvests in R&D. Since the private market is not designed to address these problems, there is a clear role for smart government policy.

However, right now America’s energy policy is hampered because politicians only plan around four-year cycles. While today’s energy policy debates in Congress focused on which tax credit will get a one year extension and which will not, we are missing opportunities to develop energy technologies for the next generation. Most troubling is a push by Congress and the Administration to cut the federal R&D budget, crippling investments in critical new technologies. The consequences of these cuts will be felt immediately – and will last for decades.

One striking example is the proposed budget cuts for fusion energy. Research in fusion has been going on for decades, and significant progress has been made. By fusing together two hydrogen isotopes – deuterium and tritium – enormous amounts of energy can be produced. Since deuterium comes from ocean water, and tritium can be produced from lithium, fusion holds the promise of providing a nearly inexhaustible supply of energy. Even better, no pollutants or greenhouse gases are emitted, and there is no threat of a nuclear meltdown like there is with the nuclear fission reactors of today.

To read the full article, click here.

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