Comments on: DOE Chief: U.S. Is in Trouble Without More Energy R&D

By: Ucilia Wang

Ucilia Wang — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:51:10 +0000

I agree that there is a great need to deploy promising technologies, and the cash grant and loan guarantee programs are helping some of these technologies to reach the mass market. I believe Chu was talking about committing long-term policies to invest in R&D. He noted that the U.S. is still a leader in innovation, so, like you said, there is an enormous amount of great R&D going on still. But China is able to move aggressively with demonstration and deployment because it’s got long-term plans and money to accelerate R&D to reach demo/deployment more quickly. To keep up, we, too, need to commit more money, or else we’ll be outpaced.

By: Ed Hands

Ed Hands — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 04:36:19 +0000

Energy and food are the keys to the future. Those that control those two items will truly be in charge of their destiny. Chu has hit the nail on the head. I hope our leaders (on both sides) will be able to see through the politics and realize the importance of this to our future.

By: Tyler Hamilton

Tyler Hamilton — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:42:40 +0000

I’m a fan of Chu, have deep respect for the guy, but I have to say I don’t find him an effective communicator. He held a conference call with bloggers after his press club speech and I found it disappointing. He rambled, didn’t offer much of anything new, and in my view doesn’t understand the greater need we (I say “we” more from a North American perspective) have to deploy technologies we already have and which show great promise. There’s an enormous amount of great R&D going on already. I’m not convinced that’s what’s lacking. When he compares the U.S. to China, the scarier measurement is how China is moving ahead more aggressively with demonstration and deployment.

By: garth huckabee

garth huckabee — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 22:21:56 +0000

You know I have applied to a number of grants with no useful response. There is a way to make power on a global scale with current technologies and the only problem is that it costs money. I have even gone to as far as to write senators, representatives, the secretary of the interior and the director of the department of energy. The concept is called solar barge:floating solar array. A patented system which I have worked over three years on and it works. It is the same technology used in arizona, new mexico and nevada simply put on the ocean. It has massive potential as well as numerous applications without damaging the environment or having massive construction and upkeep costs like any ocean wind farm. Hopefully, someone starts listening.