
© US DOE/XChris Wright signs his first secretarial order
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright's first executive order outlines the initial actions the Department of Energy will take under his leadership - including the rapid deployment of next-generation nuclear technology, and a comprehensive review of the department's R&D.
"President Trump has outlined a bold and ambitious agenda to unleash American energy at home and abroad to restore energy dominance," Wright says in the order,
Unleashing the Golden Era of American Energy Dominance. To compete globally, the USA must expand energy production and reduce energy costs; lead the world in innovation and technology breakthroughs; and permit and build energy infrastructure as well as removing barriers to progress, he said.
The order recognizes the importance of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Research and Development enterprise in underpinning these efforts, advancing basic science, strengthening the reliability of the energy system, and bolstering manufacturing competitiveness and supply chain security.
The DOE's R&D efforts will prioritize "affordable, reliable, and secure energy technologies, including fossil fuels, advanced nuclear, geothermal, and hydropower", he said, alongside "true technological breakthroughs" including fusion, high-performance computing, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence.The DOE will "comprehensively review its R&D portfolio" and will "rigorously enforce project milestones to ensure that taxpayer resources are allocated appropriately and cost-effectively consistent with the law", he said.
Comment: A reasonable and actually sustainable energy policy. What a concept!