Op/Ed Draft: "Massachusetts Leading the Way in the Energy Revolution?" - Gabe Chan

Massachusetts Leading the Way in the Energy Revolution?

Those who worry about the Massachusetts economy after the recession should look to leverage the state's tradition of technological excellence to lead the country and the world in the clean energy revolution.

America's dependence on fossil fuels is not sustainable. Tragedy is still unfolding two months after DeepWater Horizon began spewing <...> barrels of oil per day into the Gulf of Mexico , <...> coal miners were killed this <...> in <...> when <...>, recent reports have detected dangerous chemicals from natural gas drilling seeping into water supplies in <...>, <millions> of dollars are spent every day to buy oil from nations like Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, and the pile of evidence supporting the massive damage global warming will inflict on the United States and the world grows by the week. And yet, despite the ever clearer harm our energy system is imposing on ourselves and will continue to impose on our children, demand for fossil fuels continues to grow. It is now clear that the country that can generate the cheapest clean energy will be the most economically successful country of the future. As Massachusetts emerges from the worst economic downtown in anyone's memory, the state is faced with the grand challenge of emerging stronger and more resiliant to future economic shocks. Massachusetts is primely positioned to sieze the opportunities provided by clean energy technology and must use its legacy of excellence in technological innovation to lead the nation and the world in transforming the way we generate and utilize energy.

Massachusetts' long history of technological innovation is deep and robust. Massachusetts innovators helped bring to the world the cotton gin, the x-ray tube, the telegraph, the telephone, the digital computer, the radar, and the microwave, just to name a few. These innovations spurred periods of great economic wealth in Massachusetts' history, creating jobs for thousands of state citizens because they created local and national industries that quickly came to play vital roles in the global economy. <... look up the companies to give as examples...> Today, Massachusetts innovators are incubating the seeds of the next generation of novel ideas that, with the right support, hold the key for the state to lead the country and the world in siezing the next biggest global market, that of clean energy. However, in order for Massachusetts' innovators to transform their wealth of clean energy ideas into job-creating industries, one key ingredient must be provided – government support.

In 2007 Congress authorized the Department of Energy to create the Advanced Research Project Agency – Energy, or ARPA-E for short. ARPA-E was modelled after DARPA, the Department of Defence's research and development agency that made the earliest investments in what became the Internet. Like DARPA, ARPA-E is a nimble organization that focuses on cutting-edge high-risk, high-return research by keeping largely independent from beurocratic impediments other federally managed programs are subject to. Because of this, ARPA-E was incredibly successful in choosing <...> companies to allocate $<...> to from the stimulus package. The companies that ARPA-E awarded grants to are developing game-changing clean energy technologies that hold the key for America to lead the world in the clean energy economy of the future. Testifying to the great potential of Massachusetts innovators, Bay State companies received $61 million or <...>% of ARPA-E's stimulus investment. <... example of Massachusetts ARPA-E winners...>

Right now, Congress is deciding at what level to fund ARPA-E once the stimulus funds expire in 2011. The Obama administration proposed to fund ARPA-E at $300 million in 2011, an amount that does not scratch the surface of how much is needed to transform our energy future. If America wants to actually get seroius about cleaning our air, water, and securing our supply of energy resources, research and development programs like ARPA-E need dramatic increases in funding. As <...> said, <... we can't do the same thing we've always done and expect different results ...> What is even more shocking than the meager request Obama put in for ARPA-E is that the House of Representatives would cut the funding for ARPA-E by $80 million below Obama's request. With each dollar we take away from the type of transformative research ARPA-E is designed to accomplish, Congress effectively signs off on moving American clean energy jobs to China and effectively condemns us to a future of rampant environmental problems.

Reducing funding for ARPA-E is bad for American competitiveness and bad for the state of Massachusetts. The clean energy revolution has begun. According to a <...> report released <...>, China led all other countries in 2009 in sustainable energy investment, bumping down the United States to second overall for the first time. In these tough economic times with a growing federal deficit and many competitng priorities, ARPA-E is in a unique position to leverage a modest amount of funding for large benefits. But with too little funding, ARPA-E is doomed for failure. Congress should sieze this opportunity and fund ARPA-E with $500 million in 2011 and grow the program as fast as it can, while allowing the program to remain flexible and nimble. Unlike other government programs in energy, ARPA-E is working towards transforming our energy sector with revolutionary new technology. If Congress chooses to fully embrace ARPA-E, not only will our water and air be cleaned, but our country, especially Massachusetts, will be put in the position to lead the clean energy industries that will dominate future economies.

Gabriel Chan is a pre-doctoral candidate in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.