The House Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition's Innovation & Technology Task Force has released a policy framework emphasising the need to scale up renewable energy technologies and close America's commercialisation gap in clean energy. The document, co-chaired by Representatives Kevin Mullin (CA-15) and Andrea Salinas (OR-06), points to the federal government's historical role in launching renewable energy sectors.
It notes that public investment helped develop early-stage solar and wind technologies in response to the 1970s oil embargo, establishing the foundation for today's renewable energy industry.
However, the coalition argues that while America excels at early innovation in renewables, too many breakthroughs fail to reach commercial scale domestically. The framework calls for addressing this challenge through enhanced public-private partnerships and more flexible federal funding mechanisms.
Among the technologies highlighted for potential transformation are next-generation geothermal energy, advanced batteries for renewable energy storage, and green hydrogen production. The coalition emphasizes that federal research into hydraulic fracturing techniques is now opening doors to geothermal as a major renewable energy resource.
The policy priorities include establishing long-term funding for renewable energy commercialisation, using federal procurement to create predictable markets for advanced clean technologies, and modernising national laboratories to actively partner in bringing renewable innovations to market. The framework also calls for investments throughout renewable energy supply chains and expanded domestic manufacturing capacity.
Drawing on lessons from the CHIPS and Science Act, the coalition advocates for similar approaches to grow next-generation renewable energy technologies in the United States. The document stresses that technologies must be "cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable" to address rising energy costs, grid reliability challenges, and climate impacts while maintaining American economic leadership.
