South Africa needs research plan for shale gas exploitation
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ven so few years of operation and the size of its budget.” The NAS report based its findings on ARPA-E data from February 2017, when the agency had provided approximately $1.5 billion in funding to more than 580 projects. As these projects matured, 56 have gone on to form new companies, 68 have led to partnerships with other government agencies for further development, and 74 have gone on to attract more than $1.8 billion in private-sector follow-on funding. In addition, over 1300 peer-reviewed journal articles and 208 patents have been generated as a result of ARPA-E projects. Despite the success of ARPA-E, the agency has recently become a focus of debate within the US government. The Trump administration’s budget request for fiscal year 2018 (FY2018) has called for complete elimination of ARPA-E. In the US Congress, lines are drawn between the House and Senate because the House’s FY2018 energy appropriations bill aligns
South Africa needs research plan for shale gas exploitation
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outh Africa needs a shale gas research plan aligned to government policy and included into the broader government research program driven by various departments and agencies, according to federal agencies. Phil Mjwara, Director-General of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), told delegates at a conference on shale gas under way in Port Elizabeth in August, that the research plan could help develop expertise related to shale gas exploitation in South Africa. The objective of the conference, titled “The Shale Gas Industry in South Africa: Toward a Science Action Plan,” was to highlight critical reports on shale gas in South Africa, analyze the regulatory environment, consolidate common findings and recommendations, and provide a platform for debate. “Some of the objectives of the plan should be to develop national technical
capabilities in key focal areas, including pure science, engineering, and social science associated with shale gas exploitation,” Mjwara said. He added that international experience has shown that shale gas has numerous economic benefits. He pointed out that any scientific plan on shale gas must strike a healthy balance between environmental protection and economic benefit. The two-day conference, hosted by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) in partnership with the DST, followed the publication of ASSAf’s report on South Africa’s Technical Readiness to Support the Shale Gas Industry, and the Department of Environmental Affairs’ report on Shale Gas Development in the Central Karoo: A Scientific Assessment of the Opportunities and Risks. Cyril O’Connor, from the University of Cape Town, head of the panel of experts for the ASSAf study, said that the
with the administration’s request and eliminates funding for ARPA-E, while the Senate’s version proposes a budget of $330 million—an 8% increase from the FY2017 enacted (appropriated) funding level. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Chair of the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, has been a strong supporter of ARPA-E, a
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