Obama Announces New Clean Energy Research Programs
Solar Industry
As part of an initiative designed to promote scientific research in theU.S., President Obama and the Department of Energy (DOE) have launcheda $400 million Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). Inaddition, the DOE is expected to announce grants to establish 46 EnergyFrontier Research Centers.
ARPA-E is a new DOE organizationmodeled after the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. ARPA-Ewill award grants to recipients that enhance the economic and energysecurity of the U.S. through the development of breakthrough energytechnologies; reduce the need for consumption of foreign oil; reduceenergy-related emissions, including greenhouse gases; improve theenergy efficiency of all economic sectors; and ensure that the U.S.maintains a technological lead in developing and deploying advancedenergy technologies.
ARPA-E will fund energy technology projectsthat translate scientific discoveries and cutting-edge inventions intotechnological innovations and accelerate transformational technologicaladvances in areas that the industry is not likely to undertakeindependently because of high technical or financial risk, according tothe White House and the DOE.
The DOE will also be supporting 46Energy Frontier Research Centers with a total planned commitment of$777 million. These centers will address current fundamental scientificroadblocks to clean energy and energy security.
SOURCE: Department of Energy
