Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

U.S. Energy Policy: The Burdens Of The Past And Moving Forward, John P. Banks

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

Since the oil embargo of 1973, the United States has struggled to implement a sustainable and comprehensive national energy policy. Forging a consistent policy approach has been complicated by more recent emerging trends: how to combat global climate change, the continued emergence of viable alternative energy options, and the hydrocarbon renaissance.

This presentation will discuss several major themes that have impacted energy policy-making since the 1970s and how they are reflected in key issues debated in the current election year. It will then pose some thoughts on how to move away from the burdens of the past and move forward.

Centers Of Invention: Leveraging The Mountain West Innovation Complex For Energy System Transformation, Mark Muro, Sarah Rahman

Brookings Mountain West Publications

America needs to transform its energy system to reduce its carbon intensity and make clean energy cheap. At the same time, the Intermountain West region (which includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah) possesses a unique confluence of world-class innovation assets; varied energy resources; and unparalleled opportunities to build out next-generation energy systems. To that end, the brief proposes that the federal government begin constructing a distributed Intermountain West network of federally-funded, commercialization-oriented, broadly collaborative energy research and innovation centers. Organized around existing capacities in a hub-spoke structure that links fundamental science with innovation and commercialization, these research …