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David M. Hart

David M. Hart

Senior Fellow

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @profdavidhart

David M. Hart is a senior fellow with ITIF’s Center for Clean Energy Innovation, a professor of public policy at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, and a lifetime fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Hart is also a former director of the Center and a former member of ITIF’s board.

Hart has authored numerous ITIF reports and related publications, including “More and Better” in 2020, “Clean and Competitive” in 2021, and “Climate Innovation Policy from Glasgow to Pittsburgh” in 2022. He co-authored Energizing America (Columbia University Center for Global Energy Policy, 2020) and Unlocking Energy Innovation (MIT Press, 2012). His work contributed significantly to the establishment of the Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstration in 2021 and Congress’s authorization of the Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation in 2022.

In 2011 and 2012, Hart served as assistant director for innovation policy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where he focused on advanced-manufacturing issues. Hart has written on a wide range of topics in science, technology, and innovation policy. His other books include The Emergence of Entrepreneurship Policy (Cambridge University Press, 2009), and Forged Consensus: Science, Technology, and Economic Policy in the U.S., 19291953 (Princeton University Press, 2010).He earned his Ph.D. in political science from MIT in 1995.

Recent Publications

June 14, 2023

Long-Duration Energy Storage Is a Decarbonization Linchpin

LDES is a linchpin for achieving a low-carbon energy future. DOE and its partners need to expand the range of demonstration types and extend them to end-users to accelerate learning, adoption, and impact.

May 31, 2023

Jumpstarting FESI: Seeking Bold Ideas for a New Energy Innovation Foundation

To jumpstart FESI, we are seeking promising project opportunities that would advance the DOE mission through collaboration with private sector and philanthropic partners.

April 5, 2023

Why Young Researchers Are Vital to Climate and Innovation Policy and How to Support Them

Early-career scholars who bring fresh ideas to the field of climate and energy innovation policy face significant obstacles. Funders and academic institutions need to take action to encourage them.

March 23, 2023

Comments to DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions Regarding the Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation (FESI)

FESI is an idea whose time has come. DOE drives action toward many of the United States’ most vital goals: a strong, secure economy; global leadership in science and technology; eliminating climate pollution at home and around the world, and much more. Congress seized an historic opportunity to accelerate progress toward these goals by authorizing DOE to establish and collaborate closely with FESI.

March 17, 2023

FESI for Regions: How the Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation Can Contribute to Place-Based Energy Innovation

DOE needs to build deeper connections with the nation’s diverse regional economies in order to advance FESI's mission effectively.

March 3, 2023

Petrochemicals Without Fossil Fuels: A National Climate-Tech Initiative

Zero-emission petrochemical production has never enjoyed the focus, the visibility, or the resources directed at other energy innovations. This must change.

October 6, 2022

Midterm Outlook for Energy Innovation Policy

The next Congress will have to wrestle with competing energy and climate innovation policy priorities. But despite their differences, the two parties will have potential opportunities for bipartisan collaboration.

October 3, 2022

Decarbonizing the Chemical Industry: Policy Insights From a Case Study of PVC

A recent first-of-its-kind study of the value chain for polyvinyl chloride production in the United States provides valuable insights into the types and sequencing of policies that will be required to decarbonize chemical production.

September 12, 2022

Climate Innovation Policy From Glasgow to Pittsburgh

In September, ministers will gather in Pittsburgh to consider how their governments should respond to the energy and climate innovation imperative. Building on Glasgow, the meeting should strive to fill critical gaps in areas such as capital-intensive demonstration projects and innovation-friendly trade in carbon-intensive goods.

August 2, 2022

The Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation: A Flexible New Tool to Build the Economy, Strengthen Science, and Fight Climate Change

In July 2022, Congress authorized DOE to establish and collaborate closely with a new non-profit Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation (FESI), an idea that the Center developed over the previous five years. ITIF is working to ensure that FESI gets off to a fast start and contributes to DOE’s vital missions right away.

May 13, 2022

Further Energizing Innovation in Fiscal Year 2023

The FY 2023 budget request signals America’s commitment to sustaining bipartisan momentum for clean energy innovation. Congress should seize this opportunity to accelerate domestic clean energy industries and shape the U.S. response to climate change.

April 18, 2022

Active Carbon Management: Critical Tools in the Climate Toolbox

Technologies to capture and store carbon must be part of the arsenal to fight climate change. To deploy them at scale, policymakers should expand federal incentives, increase RD&D for traditional and novel technologies, and expedite permitting and siting of requisite infrastructure.

More publications by David M. Hart

Recent Events and Presentations

March 29, 2023

The Future of Manufacturing and Innovation in Germany and the United States

Join ITIF and OECD to explore policy questions that arose in the context of the OECD Review of Innovation Policy: Germany, but which have relevance to both the United States and Germany.

January 19, 2023

Transforming the U.S. Department of Energy: Paving the Way to Commercialize Advanced Nuclear Energy

David M. Hart speaks with the Nuclear Innovation Alliance on the release of a new report, "Transforming the U.S. Department of Energy: Paving the Way to Commercialize Advanced Nuclear Energy."

January 17, 2023

3rd Gamechangers Luncheon: Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation

David M. Hart, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation and Kerry C. Duggan, SustainabiliD, will co-host the third "Gamechangers Luncheon" to discuss ideas for the forthcoming Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation (FESI).

December 20, 2022

2nd Gamechangers Luncheon: Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation

David M. Hart and Kerry C. Duggan (SustainabiliD) co-host the second "Gamechangers Luncheon" to discuss ideas for the forthcoming Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation (FESI).

November 29, 2022

Gamechangers Luncheon: Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation

David Hart and Kerry Duggan (SustainabiliD)will co-host a post-COP27 "Gamechangers Luncheon" to discuss ideas for the forthcoming Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation (FESI).

November 9, 2022

The Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation Presentation at the Association of University Research Parks

David M. Hart presents to the Association of University Research Parks in a discussion about the Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation, an important and vital new initiative that aims to accelerate innovation to support the global transition to low-carbon energy.

November 1, 2022

Impact of Recent Legislation on Energy and Climate Innovation Policy in the United States

David M. Hart spoke to the Science and Technology Policy Institute in South Korea, giving his presentation titled, "Impact of Recent Legislation on Energy and Climate Innovation Policy in the United States."

October 27, 2022

Mission Critical: Accelerating Innovation at COP 27

Watch thought leaders from ITIF, IIT-Delhi School of Public Policy, and the Climate Policy Lab at The Fletcher School, Tufts University share their visions for a successful COP for innovation, building off the September 12th forum published in Nature Energy.

October 20, 2022

Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation Presentation at Cleantech San Diego

David Hart presents to Cleantech San Diego members on ITIF's work to advance the mission and work of the Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation.

October 13, 2022

Decarbonizing Chemical Production: Innovation Strategies

Watch the webinar where we shared new work from ITIF, George Mason’s Center for Energy Science and Policy, and the Center for Houston’s Future that investigates these pathways and explores policy options to decarbonize chemical production.

September 23, 2022

Demo! Scalable and Replicable Demonstration Projects to Accelerate Decarbonization Worldwide

New frameworks and projects based on scalability and replicability are urgently needed to rapidly validate and commercialize innovative clean energy solutions, such as for smarter grids and hydrogen production.

September 7, 2022

Buying Power: How Federal Procurement Can Drive Clean Energy Innovation

Join ITIF for an expert panel discussion about a new report by ITIF board member and former DOD and GSA sustainability leader Dorothy Robyn.

More Events & Presentations by David M. Hart

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