Changing The U.S. Energy Economy

The National Science Board, NSF’s governing committee, has called on the U.S. to take the lead on transforming the current energy economy to one that provides sustainable and clean energy. A draft report, “Building a Sustainable Energy Future,” released last week by NSB makes a number of recommendations for government, industry, and academia. NSB advocates the development of new government policies that reward sustainable-energy solutions and that increase support for R&D in those areas. The board suggests that NSF’s “top priority” in this area should be emphasizing innovation and education in sustainable-energy technologies. “NSF in particular is well poised to play a pivotal role in a sustainable-energy strategy, to identify and support research in innovative technologies, and to support education and workforce development to improve our future,” said Jon C. Strauss, cochairman of NSB’s Task Force on Sustainable Energy. NSF should also work to educate the general public on energy-saving practices, according to NSB.