Steve Koonin
Under Secretary for Science, US Department of Energy

The Department of Energy Quadrennial Technology Review is an assessment that binds together multiple energy technologies, as well as multiple DOE energy technology programs, in the common purpose of solving our energy challenges. Access to clean, affordable, secure, and reliable energy has been a cornerstone of America’s prosperity. And yet, energy security, U.S. competitiveness, and the environmental impacts of energy are long-standing challenges.

The QTR utilizes six strategies as a robust framework for the Department’s energy technology activities, including principles we can use to establish multi-year program plans and prioritize our technology research and development. While technical innovation is vital to addressing the nation’s energy challenges, it creates a practical problem: we have limited resources and urgent problems. So how do we choose among the many technically viable approaches to pursue? Since we cannot pursue all approaches simultaneously, the QTR focused on developing the principles that guide those difficult choices.