Alternative Energy
Government Grants for Alternative Energy Research
Jon Smith
ENG 122 (ABE1135R)
Mrs. Jane Smith
8 October 2010
Government Grants for Alternative Energy Research Energy sources play a crucial role, affecting just about every activity that societies do in every country around the globe. The role in the economic development of a region or country does not need emphasis; because of the greater effects, it exercises a huge influence. It is the key element in the production process, and the lack or shortage of it has a serious impact on the economy. Energy is produced from a variety of different sources such as the wind, water, sun and even plants. The United States Government and other governmental entities such as the Department of Energy, provide funding for the research and development of alternative energy and innovations. “…President Obama announced that DOE will hand out a total of $3.4 billion to 100 utilities and other energy companies to spur modernization of the US electricity grid” (Kramer, 2009). This research paper argues the possibility of perhaps, the lack of federal funding availability, or the abundance of federal funding via government grants for the research of alternative energy. It also argues the impact on the country’s population and its economy. The paper will discuss the different sources of federal funding for the research of alternative energy such as the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program and the Federal Energy Management Program. The paper will further explains how researchers, small businesses and companies collect billions of dollars from government grants to find cheaper, greener and more efficient energy sources. This topic has been selected because it is subject that most people are not too familiar with, and they should be more knowledgeable on the topic because it affects their lives. This paper claims that in fact, the US
Jon Smith
ENG 122 (ABE1135R)
Mrs. Jane Smith
8 October 2010
Government Grants for Alternative Energy Research Energy sources play a crucial role, affecting just about every activity that societies do in every country around the globe. The role in the economic development of a region or country does not need emphasis; because of the greater effects, it exercises a huge influence. It is the key element in the production process, and the lack or shortage of it has a serious impact on the economy. Energy is produced from a variety of different sources such as the wind, water, sun and even plants. The United States Government and other governmental entities such as the Department of Energy, provide funding for the research and development of alternative energy and innovations. “…President Obama announced that DOE will hand out a total of $3.4 billion to 100 utilities and other energy companies to spur modernization of the US electricity grid” (Kramer, 2009). This research paper argues the possibility of perhaps, the lack of federal funding availability, or the abundance of federal funding via government grants for the research of alternative energy. It also argues the impact on the country’s population and its economy. The paper will discuss the different sources of federal funding for the research of alternative energy such as the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program and the Federal Energy Management Program. The paper will further explains how researchers, small businesses and companies collect billions of dollars from government grants to find cheaper, greener and more efficient energy sources. This topic has been selected because it is subject that most people are not too familiar with, and they should be more knowledgeable on the topic because it affects their lives. This paper claims that in fact, the US
References: Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program. (2012). US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. Retrieved from http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wip/eecbg.html Federal Energy Management Program. (2012). US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. Retrieved from http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/about/about.html Freeman, Richard & Van Reenen, John. (2009). What if Congress Doubled R&D Spending on the Physical Sciences? Innovation Policy and the Economy, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 1-38. Kramer, D. (2009). DOE names winners of long-shot energy research grants. Physics Today, 62(12), 26-27. The Budget for Fiscal Year 2013. (2012). The White House. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2013/assets/energy.pdf The Recovery Act. (2009). Recovery.org: Track the Money. Retrieved from http://www.recovery.gov/About/Pages/The_Act.aspx