Yergin Panel Assessment on Energy R&D: Good News for Materials Research
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Yergjn Panel Assessment on Energy R&D: Good News for Materials Research Why is a recent Department of Energy report by a special Task Force on Strategic Energy R&D of interest to materials researchers? Answer: DOE, which commissioned the study of its energy R&D portfolio, provides nearly one-half of federal support for materials research in the United States. This includes one-third of federally supported fundamental materials research as well as operation of most of the nation's major materials research facilities such as synchrotrons and neutron sources. The majority of this support is provided through DOE's energy technology and basic energy sciences programs. The energy R&D mission is broad, and DOE materials research programs have an enormous impact on scientific and technological progress in the materials field. The research is performed in DOE laboratories, universities, and industry. According to the nine-month study by industry and university experts, DOE should "examine mechanisms for maintaining a strong energy R&D program, while cutting total costs." The study, convened by Secretary of Energy Hazel R. O'Leary, was chaired by Pulitzer Prize winning author and energy consultant Daniel Yergin. The panel concluded that DOE's energy R&D contributions have been significant, contributing along with other federal and private investments to a higher standard of living. Many of these contributions have been in the form of new materials and materials technologies for a wide variety of energy production and end-use applications. The report also noted that DOE's energy programs could be made more efficient, lowering costs without reducing the direct research effort. The report reviews recent changes in the R&D landscape: the end of the Cold War, increasing competitive pressures in the private sector, realignments at research universities, and shifting priorities in federal spending away from R&D. R&D investment is declining in the federal government and increasingly focused on the short term in industry. This foreshadows a looming R&D crisis caused by widespread cutbacks and shortened time horizons at a time when science and technology are of growing importance to meeting global challenges. Although energy is fundamental to the functioning of industrial society, federal support for energy R&D has fallen significantly since the late 1970s with the decline of large energy demonstration projects. During this period, Japanese investment in energy R&D has increased
and is currently twice that of the United States. While a major oil shock is not anticipated, the world oil market is currently operating at 96% capacity and oil demand in Asia will exceed that of North America in less than five years. Overall, global energy demand will increase 40% in the next 15 years. The report notes that energy R&D now constitutes less than 15% of the DOE budget, which is dominated by environmental remediation and nuclear weapons programs. DOE's energy R&D portfolio includes energy efficiency, renewable energy, fusion energy, coal, oil,
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