A new study from the Kauffman Foundation analyzes five major policy strategies to accelerate the development of clean energy in the U.S.
The report, "A Clean Energy Roadmap: Forging the Path Ahead," is based on outcomes of three clean energy summits that explored how industry participants might better collaborate to propel economic development and job creation by boosting energy-sector entrepreneurship and innovation. The report also encompasses the results of an intensive review of more than 20 scientific articles and interviews with 15 of the U.S.' top clean energy entrepreneurs.
The report identifies the following strategies to advance clean energy adoption in the U.S.:
Foster interstate cooperation, ensuring consistent state-to-state policies that will stimulate the deployment of energy technologies. Because states have greater potential to strengthen the energy market than even the federal government does, interstate partnerships have the potential to spur economic development within regions as a whole.
Reduce market uncertainty by establishing consistent energy policies that remove regulatory ambiguity and establish clear implications for utility companies. Coupling predictable federal policies with more creative funding streams will spur investment in high-risk, high-reward clean energy projects. Both are needed to advance the innovation pipeline and sustain its market over many years.
Democratize access to the power grid. Utilities, which increasingly will be at the forefront of the renewable energy arena, should eliminate operational requirements that hinder entrepreneurs' ability to scale renewable energy solutions, and should establish standardized, easy-to-use connection procedures. Allowing customers to generate and store their own energy is another way clean energy solutions might be integrated into existing utility infrastructures.
Encourage cross-sector collaboration, building upon regional energy innovation clusters that propel business creation and growth. Such partnerships can result in increased efficiency of private and government energy investments, and help get more energy innovation to scale at the market level.
Support human capital development at universities by rewarding innovation that has commercial impact and measuring research value by the number of new products and processes developed, rather than by the number of papers published or patents obtained. Universities should teach faculty about the pathways to commercializing their innovations, encouraging them to pass on this knowledge to their students.
"While the clean energy sector has tremendous growth potential, it can progress only if federal and state governments are willing to establish policies that will encourage commercialization and scale of energy innovation," says Lesa Mitchell, vice president of advancing innovation at Kauffman Foundation. "Further, everyone in the energy sector - including private corporations, nonprofits, philanthropic foundations, service organizations and academia - have a role to play. With government, they must jointly address challenges, generate new ideas and support clean energy researchers to establish and sustain the United States' position as a global clean energy innovator."
