ITIF Welcomes Energy & Water Appropriations Increase for Energy Innovation

WASHINGTON—The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the top-ranked science and tech policy think tank, welcomed the release of Congress’s energy and water appropriations bill for fiscal year 2019. ITIF released the followed statement from ITIF Clean Energy Policy Analyst Colin Cunliff:

Congress’s appropriations bill for fiscal 2019 builds on last year’s increase in federal energy research and development and affirms the foundational role of federal investment in fostering energy innovation across the innovation ecosystem, from basic research through commercialization. This investment is necessary to support national imperatives in energy security, economic competitiveness, and environmental stewardship and will accelerate the transition to cleaner, more affordable, more reliable energy.

By investing in cutting-edge science and technology, Congress is taking an important step to advance the United States as a global leader in the growing clean energy economy. However, DOE’s energy R&D budget remains more than 20 percent below what it was when the department was established in 1978, and greater investment is necessary to catalyze innovation and address the global and competitive challenges of the 21st century.

For additional background:

• Colin Cunliff, “Department of Energy RD&D Appropriations, Fiscal Year,” (Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, June 26, 2018).
• David M. Hart and Colin Cunliff, “Federal Energy RD&D: Building on Momentum in Fiscal Year 2019,” (Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, April 23, 2018).