Resolving the impasse in American energy policy: The case for a transformational R&D strategy at the U.S. Department of Energy

From its inception in 1977, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been responsible for maintaining the nation's nuclear stockpile, leading the country in terms of basic research, setting national energy goals, and managing thousands of individual programs. Despite these gains, however, the DOE research and development (R&D) model does not appear to offer the nation an optimal strategy for assessing long-term energy challenges. American energy policy continues to face constraints related to three “I's”: inconsistency, incrementalism, and inadequacy. An overly rigid management structure and loss of mission within the DOE continues to plague its programs and create inconsistencies in terms of a national energy policy. Various layers of stove-piping within and between the DOE and national laboratories continue to fracture collaboration between institutions and engender only slow, incremental progress on energy problems. And funding for energy research and development continues to remain inadequate, compromising the country's ability to address energy challenges. To address these concerns, an R&D organization dedicated to transformative, creative research is proposed.