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Can Reforming the Department of Energy Reinvigorate Clean Energy in Obama's 2nd Term?
As my colleague Clifton Yin and I have written recently, U.S. clean energy innovation policy is at an inflection point. The decisions made in the coming months and years will shape America’s ability to address its climate and energy challenges...
Better Clean Energy Choices for America
Cross-posted from The Washington Post. Extreme weather has become the new normal. Despite another year of unprecedented drought in Midwestern states, historic wildfires and devastating storms such as Hurricane Sandy, there hasn’t been a groundswell...
Third Debate: Basic Research Not Enough to Spur Energy Innovation
Last night marked the third and final presidential debate of the 2012 election, and was the first time since 1984 that climate change went unmentioned by the presidential candidates in any of the debates. (“Obviously there are only so many [topics]...
A123, Solyndra, and EV Battery Innovation
Battery maker A123 Systems Inc. recently filed for bankruptcy protection, making it the latest in a series of clean energy companies to falter. Without a doubt, this unfortunate development is set to become the next political football in much the...
Why You Don't Want an Electric Car... Yet
By ITIF Research Analyst Clifton Yin and ITIF Senior Analyst Matthew SteppIn a recent New York Times Magazine article, “Why Your Car Isn't Electric,” Maggie Koerth-Baker works through why consumers prefer gas cars over electric vehicles (EVs). She...
Lessons from China’s Solar Industry Woes
Yesterday, the New York Times described a “looming financial disaster” for China’s clean energy industry: “Though worldwide demand for solar panels and wind turbines has grown rapidly over the last five years, China’s manufacturing capacity has...
Three Clean Energy Innovation Policy Debate Questions for the Presidential Debates
Climate change has been M.I.A. in the presidential campaign. So in an effort to advance climate policy as a campaign priority, Daniel Weiss at the Center for American Progress Action Fund offers three potential climate policy questions for...
Devil is in the Details: Comparing the Candidates’ Energy Innovation Policies
Last week, ITIF released a side-by-side comparison of President Obama’s and Governor Romney’s technology and innovation policies. As with nearly all policy areas, on energy innovation, we see common goals but often dramatic divergence on how to...
Free Technology Transfer is Not the Way to Go
Noah Smith wrote an opinion piece this week at The Atlantic entitled “The End of Global Warming: How to Save the Earth in 2 Easy Steps” that starts by accurately laying out some hard truths for climate policy advocates, but then wildly veers off...
Rio+20 Needs An Ideas Overhaul To Address Global Challenges
Question: Rio +20 is occurring as we enter a phase of planetary emergency - we've recently surpassed 400 ppm in the Arctic, biodiversity loss is occurring at an exponential pace and global warming is magnifying global abnormal weather conditions....
Public Investment Central to Advanced Battery Breakthrough
Today A123 – a leading U.S. vehicle battery firm – announced it has developed a breakthrough lithium-ion battery that could potentially make electric vehicle (EV) battery packs lighter by not requiring a heating and cooling system while also...
DOC China Solar Tariff Ruling Will Boost Innovation
The Department of Commerce (DOC) has released a preliminary ruling to impose a 31 percent “anti-dumping” tariff on 62 Chinese solar PV manufacturers (and a 250 percent tariff on all other Chinese solar manufacturers) in addition to the 2.9 to 4.73...
