Innovation is the engine of American prosperity. Economists estimate that up to 80 percent of modern economic growth arises from technological innovation, the process of developing new knowledge and harnessing discoveries to create better commercial products, more productive and competitive industries, and well-paying jobs.
Over the past century, the federal government has played a vital role in supporting innovation through public-private partnerships and targeted investments in science and technology. These investments have produced enormous economic returns and strengthened U.S. leadership in several important industries, including information technology, communications, aviation, medicine, and agriculture, among others.
Today, leadership in advanced energy technology is a national imperative. Global energy demand will grow by nearly 50 percent over the next 25 years, presenting a multitrillion-dollar market opportunity. In the next decade alone, the global market for clean power assets could total $2.3 trillion. In short, clean energy is quickly becoming a major growth sector, and countries such as China and Germany are moving quickly to capture this opportunity.
To win the future jobs and economic benefits of this growth sector, the United States needs a national energy innovation strategy—one that unleashes our scientific and technological strength to develop cheaper forms of clean energy, manufacture these products at home, and export them. Unfortunately, the nation has not yet defined energy innovation as a core priority. The public and private sectors have made progress in recent years, but without a stronger, long-term commitment, the United States risks falling behind.
Private R&D spending as a share of sales in the energy industry is only 0.4 percent, compared with 20.5 percent in pharmaceuticals, 11.5 percent in aerospace and defense, 7.9 percent on computers and electronics, and 2.4 percent in the automotive industry. The private sector consistently underinvests in RD&D activities, because it is often unable to capture all the benefits of its investments. This underinvestment is especially prevalent in the energy sector. Energy is much more capital-intensive than other industries, requiring high upfront expenses and relatively low rates of return; energy markets are dominated by large, risk-averse firms and are not favorable to new competition; and consumers are largely unwilling to pay higher prices for new technologies.
Recognizing this gap, a wide range of business leaders, economists, scientists, and policy analysts have reached a consensus: The federal government should triple its investments in energy RD&D from approximately $5 billion to $15 billion annually. This shared vision includes individuals and trade groups from across the political spectrum, such as the American Energy Innovation Council, President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, American Enterprise Institute, Brookings Institution, Bipartisan Policy Center, dozens of Nobel scientists, and several other nongovernmental institutions.
Fortunately, the United States still possesses unrivaled innovation capacity, from world-renowned scientists and research universities to extensive venture capital markets and entrepreneurial initiative. This country is positioned to reap enormous benefits from a greater commitment to energy innovation—including enhanced economic competitiveness, national security, and public health. Some of these benefits are already materializing.
For example, according to a Brookings Institution analysis, the highest job growth and export intensity in overall clean economy is occurring in emerging energy technologies such as solar photovoltaics, solar thermal, wind, biofuels, fuel cells, and smart grids. In fact, 78 percent of all clean economy jobs created between 2003 and 2010 came from ventures established after 2002. In 2011, the United States attracted 70 percent of worldwide venture capital investments. Yet these developments are only scratching the surface. According to a McKinsey & Co. analysis, breakthroughs in just a few key energy technologies would create more than 1 million U.S. jobs, save households nearly $1,000 in annual energy costs, add $155 billion to gross domestic product (GDP), and cut domestic oil consumption by at least 1.1 billion barrels annually.
To help seize the opportunity, Americans for Energy Innovation, a project of the Pew Clean Energy Program, aims to build support for federal policies that drive innovation in clean energy technologies to strengthen U.S. economic competitiveness, defense, and environmental security. This project builds support for the following goals:
Federal investments in research and development have consistently achieved technological breakthroughs and launched successful industries. A few examples include: