U.S. Department of Energy is seeking public input for it's first department-related foundation aimed at the nation's clean-energy future.
DOE issued a request for information for public and stakeholder input about its Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation, according to a Feb. 9 news release. Responses are due by 5 p.m. Eastern Time March 27.
"FESI will help ensure that the breakthroughs in science and innovation at DOE are used to their fullest capacity in maintaining America's edge as a global energy powerhouse throughout the 21st Century and beyond," Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm said in the release. "This first-of-its-kind foundation will serve as a critical new partner to the department in our efforts to strengthen American ingenuity and deliver the technologies of the future so critical to an equitable clean energy economy."
The foundation aims to accelerate new clean energy technologies development and assist communities to unlock benefits of a clean energy future, according to the news release. FESI is also expected to raise from the private sector and philanthropic communities, as well as provide resources and related capacities to potential partners and communities nationwide in support of solutions-driven research and innovation to strengthen the nation's energy and national security.
FESI, authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, has bipartisan support in Congress, the release reported.
"Investing in research and development – particularly as it pertains to energy – is a no-brainer," South Carolina Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said in the news release. "FESI is an opportunity for the Department of Energy to partner with the private sector, creating a unique opportunity for innovation. I look forward to working with my colleagues, stakeholders and the secretary to launch the foundation and foster new ideas and partnerships to keep America on the cutting edge of economic and technological developments."
"The Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation will boost American competitiveness and channel private sector investments into critical partnerships between the Department of Energy, its world-class National Labs, the private sector and the philanthropic community," Delaware Democrat U.S. Sen. Chris Coons said in the news release. "I'm grateful that Secretary Granholm is making this a priority. Through its flexible design, FESI will accelerate the commercialization of clean energy technologies that are needed to meet our climate goals. I was proud to lead the legislation to create this foundation with Sens. Graham and Luján, and I look forward to working with the department to support its success."
"The U.S. must remain competitive with transformative scientific research and development by harnessing the work done at New Mexico's Los Alamos and Sandia National Labs," Democrat New Mexico U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján said, according to the release. "I'm pleased to have championed the DOE's first foundation that prioritizes just that. FESI will promote partnerships between the public and private sectors, train the workforce and drive innovation both in New Mexico and across the country."
"Last year, my first bill – the bipartisan Partnerships for Energy Security and Innovation Act – was signed into law as part of the CHIPS and Science Act to authorize the creation of the Department of Energy’s Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation," Democrat New Mexico U.S. House Rep. Melanie Stansbury said in the release. "At our leading research laboratories across New Mexico and the nation, our scientists push the envelope of innovation in science and technology every day. As a former STEM educator, I’m proud that this first-of-its-kind foundation that the Department of Energy is announcing today will help boost our STEM economy, give students the tools to succeed in STEM and bring next-generation science and technologies to the market."
