The National Research Council, in a study released in mid-July, looked at $22.3 billion spent by the US Department of Energy between 1978 and 2000 on energy efficiency and fossil energy research programs and asked, Was it worth it? The answer, according to the NRC, is yes, especially if more than direct economic benefits are counted.
The report, Energy Research at DOE: Was It Worth It?, said it is important to include “options for the future” and “knowledge benefits” when assessing the return on investment for DOE research programs. For example, the report said the feasibility of future energy technologies is better understood because of DOE research, although such research has brought no monetary return.
In looking at “net realized economic benefits associated with the energy efficiency programs,” the study said that about $7 billion (1999 dollars) was spent over 22 years, resulting in about $30 billion in savings. Fossil energy programs didn’t fare as well, generating $3.4 billion in return on $6 billion spent between 1978 and 1986, and $7.4 billion in benefits for $4.5 billion in costs from 1986 to 2000.
