Cassidy introduces bill to boost clean energy innovation, collaboration

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) last week unveiled a bipartisan bill to maintain the nation’s leadership on clean energy research and development via closer collaboration between American national laboratories, local governments and the private sector on the market adoption and commercialization of advanced technologies.

“In a highly competitive world that is looking to technology and innovation to lower emissions, it is becoming increasingly important that we look for ways to speed scientific discovery and support our national labs in those efforts,” Sen. Cassidy said. “Through technological breakthroughs, we have the opportunity to show the world that through innovation, we can lower emissions and maintain a modern economy.” 

The Energizing Technology Transfer Act, S. 4725, which Sen. Cassidy cosponsored on Sept. 24 with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Christopher Coons (D-DE), would help bridge the gap between research and commercialization by establishing and expanding multiple clean energy technology transfer programs, supporting commercialization opportunities at national labs, and modernizing the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), according to a one-page bill summary provided by Sen. Cassidy’s office.

Specifically, S. 4725 would bring together clean energy technologists to support coordination of technology transfer activities at DOE and would authorize DOE’s Energy I-Corps program to provide entrepreneurial training to national lab employees, according to the summary.

The legislation also would create opportunities for researchers, including an entrepreneurial leave program and authority to perform consulting while at a national lab, and would assist DOE efforts for technology transition by establishing programs to oversee demonstration project management and to streamline prize competitions, among other provisions, the summary says.

“Clean energy innovation is essential if we are going to address the climate crisis,” said Sen. Coons. “Barriers to bringing technology out of the research phase are hurting our ability to deploy clean energy research in our national labs. The Energizing Technology Transfer Act brings together a number of bipartisan proposals that will unleash the potential of our federal research institutions and support American competitiveness.”

The measure has been endorsed by the American Chemical Society, the American Council for Capital Formation, Associated Universities Inc., and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, among many others.