An opinion piece in the New York Times by David Leonhardt calls attention to an alternative to what he refers to as the “politically painful process of raising the price of dirty energy” for mitigating climate change – energy innovation. The piece emphasizes the idea that investment in clean energy RD&D are “succeeding more than they are failing,” and increasing federal support for innovation will make breakthroughs in energy technologies more attainable.
The article mentions falling investments in clean energy since the stimulus peak in FY2009. For more specific details on trends over time associated with investments in energy innovation, see our analyses here (for ARRA-specific trends) and here (for more recent developments), or search the Tracker.