I have seen a few suggestions for a Manhattan project for Energy. Not a bad idea if we knew the energy source/type and simply had to execute a plan to implement. But that’s the rub.... what type of energy? Which source? Who decides? I think we need multiple solutions not single solutions. One way to get there would be to create a national institute of energy (NIE) modeled on the national institute of health (NIH). Create a peer reviewed grants program with specific target areas to develop novel clean renewable cost efficient energy sources and methods for distribution.
Now the NIH is not perfect, but it is the reason the USA is at the forefront of biomedical discovery. Basically the NIH funding mechanism allows not for profit organizations to develop the absolute best technologies and then move them into the for profit world to commercialize and translate the technology into something usable that hopefully improves the health of people.
Take the NIH model but lets say target a ramp up over 7 years to 20 billion dollars per year of funding and allow universities and non profit research institutes to compete for the dollars and simply develop the best alternative energy technologies. The investment will work and multiple technologies will continuously emerge. The best of these will be successfully commercialized. In essence we get basically government subsidized mission based funding and engage our best and brightest in this endeavor. IF policies similar to the NIHs are in place, industry collaborations will emerge but industry will no longer drive the discovery.
The NIE will then be a permanent “technology accelerator”. America will once again become a leader in the physical sciences through such efforts, and we will create infrastructure that will I believe solve the problems that we are currently facing.
There would be some structural differences between NIH and NIE in that NIE projects would likely be larger on average then the typical NIH grant. The small business grants allocation also needs to be larger, as many technologies will rapidly require substantive capital to move forward.
I am an MD PHD biomedical scientist I know the good and the bad of the NIH, but I do know that it works pretty well. Undoubtedly it will mobilize and raise awareness immediately. It will then produce technologies based on two of the American peoples’ strengths, ingenuity and hard work
I really do not care how it is paid for but would suggest that we simply tax those who are making huge profits on energy now and certainly not developing alternate technologies with any great hurry or transparency. Also tax gas guzzlers, and other inefficient energy users…..(Though 20 billion could just be carved out. Indeed, isn’t energy independence and environmental protection part of national security?)
