ConservAmerica has joined close to 70 stakeholders from across the country, political spectrum, and technological landscape to send a letter to Congressional Appropriations Committee leaders advocating for continued investments in energy innovation as part of FY24 appropriations.
Read an excerpt from the letter here:
“To keep America globally competitive, Congress has taken bold action with a historic suite of legislation, including the Energy Act of 2020, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This set of laws is already working together to build new domestic industries, jumpstart our decarbonization efforts, and ensure America maintains its ability to compete on the global stage. From the new “battery belt” forming across the American Southeast to dozens of new solar and wind manufacturing plants, these investments are paying back dividends in the form of over 100,000 new clean energy jobs spread across 31 different states.
But while these generational investments in climate and our economy are a tremendous step in the right direction, their focus on deployment of commercial technologies has left gaps in the RDD&D continuum that may leave early-stage technologies exposed to the innovation “valleys of death” and unable to ever enter the marketplace. Additionally, sufficient and sustained federal support for a balanced portfolio of work across the innovation lifecycle – from basic and applied research and experimental development, to field validation and first-of-a-kind technology demonstrations –is essential to position US researchers, industries, and workers to develop and benefit from these new markets for emerging clean energy technologies. Lastly, well-targeted annual investments can help ensure a diverse suite of offices and programs receive the necessary funding to continue creating jobs, strengthening our energy security, and further reducing emissions.”