Context and Motivation for the Conference

Estimating the Benefits of Government-Sponsored Energy Research and Development, May 4 and 5, Hilton Crystal City

Context and Motivation for the Conference

An important part of DOE’s mission is to foster a secure and reliable energy system that is environmentally and economically sustainable. Several offices in DOE play key roles in carrying out this mission. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) conducts research to develop and deploy clean and efficient energy technologies. The Office of Fossil Fuel (FE) undertakes research and development to promote the efficient and environmentally sound production and use of fossil fuels. The Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (NE) advances the application of nuclear technology by investing in new or innovative opportunities for its expanded use. The Office of Science (SC) complements the “energy resources business line” of these other offices by advancing basic research and the foundations of science. All of these offices assess the benefits of their programs to assist their planning and budget development, to meet the requirements of GPRA, and to respond to requests for information from the White House, Congress, and others.

These estimates are important means of assessing both the potential future benefits from public R&D, and the performance and results of past research efforts. Under GPRA, federal agencies are required to report annually on their plans and performance. In his “management agenda,” President George W. Bush emphasized that the federal government needs to measure the effectiveness of its R&D investments and he chose "energy resources" as the first area to apply new R&D selection criteria, including their contributions to public benefits.¹ The National Energy Policy identifies a number of such potential benefits, including energy security and environmental improvements.²

Improved methods of estimating the value of energy R&D can increase the effectiveness of future investments in it. A recent National Research Council (NRC) study developed an initial framework for evaluating the benefits of DOE’s past energy efficiency and fossil energy R&D programs.³ The study's implementation of this framework included conventional methods used in programmatic and economic analysis, as well as cutting-edge methods in need of further assessment and development.

The conference will draw upon insights from previous studies and research, such as previously-cited NRC committee report on the benefits of DOE’s energy efficiency and fossil energy R&D programs. The results of the conference might ultimately help DOE’s development and implementation of improved methods for estimating the benefits of the R&D programs in its Energy Resources Business Line, as well as in its science programs.

If you have any questions, please contact:
Ms. Stephanie Floyd
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6207
Phone: 865-574-5517; Fax: 865-574-8272; E-mail: floydsd@ornl.gov
or
Russell Lee
Phone: 865-576-6818; Fax: 865-574-8272; E-mail: leerm@ornl.gov

¹ Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, The President’s Management Agenda, Fiscal Year 2002, August 2001.
²National Energy Policy Development Group, National Energy Policy, Washington, DC, May 2001.
³ National Research Council’s Committee on Benefits of DOE R&D on Energy Efficiency and Fossil Energy, Energy Research at DOE: Was It Worth It?, Washington, DC: National Academy Press, July 2001. The report was requested by the Appropriations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Updated: February 28, 2002