Medium - Fighting Climate Change Depends on Long-term Research and Effective Public-private Partnerships

Op-Ed

By Sen. Chris Coons

Over a decade ago, scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado were engaged in early stage research on turning biomass into useful energy. These NREL researchers were exploring ways to transform complex materials in forest residues and agricultural waste into cellulosic ethanol, an advanced biofuel. Not only did scientists show that this transformation could be done, but they also helped create a cost-effective path for industry and government to work together to bring the technology to market, culminating in a partnership between DuPont and NREL in 2002.

In the thirteen years since, American businesses have turned that scientific breakthrough into a promising business model. The process reached a new milestone in October of this year when DuPont cut the ribbon on the world's largest commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Nevada, Iowa, capable of turning 375,000 dry tons of corn harvest residues into 30 million gallons of ethanol a year.

The construction of this facility is an example of how smart, collaborative investments in world-class R&D can be scaled into successful businesses with the right incentives. If we want to advance clean energy technology in a sustainable way, it's a model we have to replicate across the country.

The Energy COMPETES Act, which I introduced in the Senate with Republican Senator Lamar Alexander and six other members, would take a step in this direction by increasing federal investments in clean energy research through the Department of Energy's Office of Science and ARPA-E. The cutting-edge research authorized by this bill would enable breakthrough achievements in science and technology to fight climate change, enhance our national security, and strengthen our economic competitiveness.

We also have to find a way to get groundbreaking, and taxpayer-funded, research from the lab to the marketplace. The America INNOVATES Act, which I introduced with Republican Senator Marco Rubio, would help bridge the gap between research and commercialization by making it easier for national labs to work with businesses to bring new technologies to market. This bill is premised on a fundamental belief that only by bringing government and businesses together can America fully unlock our innovation potential in every sector of the economy -- especially in developing new clean energy technologies.

This belief underpins other bills I've introduced in the Senate, including:
-The Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act, which I introduced with Republican Senator Jerry Moran, would help a range of clean energy firms access the same tax advantaged incentives already available to the oil and gas sectors.
-The Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act, a bill I introduced with Republican Senator Susan Collins, would encourage the development and commercialization of new chemicals, materials, and processes that are better for the environment.

Each of these bills reflects an understanding that advancing what the American Academy of Arts and Sciences calls the "innovation imperative" demands a strong collaboration between the public and private sectors. We have to make stronger, smarter investments in domestic R&D -- and we have to do so with business and government working together.

We've seen the impact of public-private collaboration in my home state of Delaware. Since 2009, we've been part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a partnership of mid-Atlantic and northeastern states that seeks to implement market-based policies to reduce vehicle emissions. Over the past six years, Delaware has reduced greenhouse gas emissions more than any other state in the United States, and we've increased our solar generating capacity by over 6,000 percent.

As the lowest-lying state in the U.S., Delaware is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change -- but we're also particularly well equipped to contribute innovative clean energy and energy efficiency solutions to the global response. I'm proud that Delaware is home to innovators like Newark's Bloom Energy, which makes solid oxide fuel cells; Baltimore Aircoil, in Milford, which builds high-efficiency cooling systems; and DuPont, which -- in addition to its work in advanced biofuels -- has also developed innovative materials that improve solar energy production and make cold-water laundry more efficient.

We're also home to White Optics, a New-Castle based firm that produces more efficient lighting materials, and Johnson Controls, an energy storage manufacturer with a facility in Middletown that employs hundreds of Delawareans. Just last year Johnson Controls joined the White House for a discussion on ways to reduce emissions of hydrofluorocarbons.

Delaware is making great strides, but reducing the effects of climate change depends on worldwide action. That's why the climate negotiations taking place right now in Paris are so important. As the world warms, areas like Africa and the Caribbean face an acute loss of agricultural productivity, and coastal nations like Bangladesh, Mozambique, and the United States are threatened by sea level rise and extreme weather.

It is unrealistic for any nation, large or small, to make substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions without viable alternative energy sources to make the transition to low-carbon energy systems. It's equally difficult without significant improvements in energy efficiency that will help us use energy more wisely.

President Barack Obama understands the importance of these partnerships. I applaud the President and the 19 other world leaders who have come together to support Mission Innovation, a twenty-nation partnership to catalyze and accelerate public and private clean energy innovation. As part of that agreement, the U.S. has committed to doubling its clean energy research budget within the next 5 years. Reflecting the need for both public and private commitments, as world leaders announced Mission Innovation, business leaders debuted a complementary effort, the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, to enable private investors to help shoulder the financial risks that energy innovators often face with new technologies.

Making real progress fighting climate change requires businesses and governments around the world to work cooperatively to make clean energy affordable for consumers and commercially viable for businesses. DuPont's cellulosic ethanol plant shows that it can be done. The global community is stronger when public and private sector leaders are working together. That's something I've fought for in the Senate, and that's the message I'll be bringing to the negotiations in Paris this weekend.

Source