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Excited to share a new @DataProgress project on a progressive climate innovation agenda. @Jake_Higdon and I make the case for progressive leadership on innovation, propose a framework to judge innovation proposals, and lay out policies to get there. THREAD https://bit.ly/3jir22I
See this thread from @Jake_Higdon on the case for progressive innovation policy and our Three E’s (Expansion, Emissions, and Equity) framework to shape policy proposals. We also propose a list of core policies for each of the E’s, the focus of this thread! https://bit.ly/3b1hE0t
First, what do we mean by “innovation”? Much more than research and development! It also includes large demonstrations, deployment, public financing, using gov’t procurement for energy and materials, performance standards, and more. And it spans at least 8 federal agencies.
All these innovation activities need to be expanded, refocused on emissions, and redesigned to achieve equitable outcomes.
On Expansion: innovation programs need way more $$ to be effective. If funding for @ENERGY had kept up with inflation, the research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) budget would be $32 billion today, compared to $8B this year. We propose a 4X increase in RD&D by 2030.
Plus, the federal government lacks a deployment strategy. Tax credits make up most of today’s funding for deployment. We need a bunch of new strategies with much more $$: grant programs, funding for states, financing through a green bank, procurement policies, and more.
