CleanBeta

Government Report Proposes New Manhattan Project R&D Agenda for Clean Energy

Current projections estimate that the energy needs of the world will more than double by the year 2050. In 2002, the Department of Energy’s Basic Energy Sciences assessed the the most important research needed to develop energy technologies capable of assuring a reliable, economic, and environmentally sound energy supply for the future. Existing technologies cannot meet these challenges. Major scientific breakthroughs will be required to provide reliable, economic solutions.

The assessment identified 37 critical research areas, which divided into ten general research areas:

• Materials Science to Transcend Energy Barriers
• Energy Biosciences Research for Innovative Hydrogen Energy Storage
• Novel Membrane Assemblies
• Heterogeneous Catalysis
• Fundamental Approaches to Energy Conversion
• Basic Research for Energy Utilization Efficiency
• Actinide Chemistry and Nuclear Fuel Cycles
• Geosciences

“Clean energy” refers to sources of energy that do not increase levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants in the environment.
Nanoscale science, engineering, and technology were identified as cross-cutting areas where research may provide solutions and insights to long-standing technical problems and scientific questions. The need for developing quantitative predictive models was also identified in many cases, and this requires better understanding of the underlying fundamental mechanisms of the relevant processes. Often this in turn requires characterization with very high physical, chemical, structural, and temporal precision: DOE’s existing world-leading user facilities currently provide these capabilities, and these capabilities must be continuously enhanced and new ones developed. In addition, requirements for theory, modeling, and simulation will demand advanced computational tools, including high-end computer user facilities. All the participants agreed that the education of the next generation of research scientists is of crucial importance; and this should include making the importance of the energy security issue clear to everyone.

It is clear that assuring the security of the energy supply for the U.S. over the next few decades will present major problems. There are a number of reasons for this. The most important of these is the current reliance on fossil fuels for a high proportion of the energy, of which a significant fraction is imported. The Developing World countries will have greatly increased needs for energy, in part because of the expected population increase, and in part because of the increase in their presently very low standards of living. A second problem is related to concerns over the environmental effects of the use of fossil fuels. Third, the peaking of the production of fossil fuels is likely within the next several decades. For these reasons, it is very important that the U.S. undertakes a vigorous research and development program to address the issues identified in this report.

There are a number of actions that can help in the nearer term: increased efficiency in the conversion and use of energy; increased conservation; and aggressive environmental control requirements. However, while these may delay the major impact, they will not in the longer run provide the assured energy future that the U.S. requires. It is also clear that there is no single answer to this problem. There are several options that are available at the moment, and many - or indeed all - of them must be pursued.

Basic research will make an important contribution to the solution to this problem by providing the basis on which entities which include DOE’s applied missions programs will develop new technological approaches; and by leading to the discovery of new concepts. The time between the basic research and its contribution to new or significantly improved technical solutions that can make major contributions to the future energy supply is often measured in decades. Major new discoveries are needed, and these will largely come from basic research programs.

BESAC expects, however, that a much larger effort will be needed than the current BES program. The magnitude of the energy challenge should not be underestimated. With major scientific discoveries and development of the underlying knowledge base, we must enable vast technological changes in the largest industry in the world (energy), and we must do it quickly. If we are successful, we will both assure energy security at home and promote peace and prosperity worldwide.

Recommendation: Considering the urgency of the energy problem, the magnitude of the needed scientific breakthroughs, and the historic rate of scientific discovery, current efforts will likely be too little, too late. Accordingly, BESAC believes that a new national energy research program is essential and must be initiated with the intensity and commitment of the Manhattan Project, and sustained until this problem is solved.