CRES Forum hosted another session of CRES Academy on July 21 focused on federal innovation funding and oversight. The educational event included a fireside chat as well as a panel discussion—providing congressional staff with insight into ongoing federal support available to the private sector, existing oversight efforts, as well as potential for additional oversight.
The fireside chat featured Daniel Dziadon, staff director for Environment Subcommittee for the U.S. House Science, Space and Technology Committee, and Richard Campbell, CRES Forum Vice President of Policy and Research, who discussed the government’s role in supporting basic research and development and beyond in the development cycle.
The panel featured former Department of Energy staff who have gone on to work with innovative technology companies. The lively discussion included Sierra Cato, Principal in the Energy Policy Practice at Lewis-Burke Associates LLC, Lane Genatowski, Manager at Advanced Methane Ventures, and Partner at Bradford-Ventures, LLC, Alex Fitzsimmons, Head of Government Affairs at Sila Nanotechnologies, Conner Prochaska, Chief of Strategic Partnerships at Bohr Quantum Technology, and Benjamin Reinke, Vice President of Global Business Development at X-energy. They touched on the value of their experience with federal funding in the private sector and provided meaningful background on what makes federal funding effective in supporting truly innovative technologies.
We support U.S. Department of Energy innovation programs that promote the development of clean energy technologies and reduce our reliance on adversarial countries like China.
The event highlighted the value of various federal innovation programming to private industry but also warned about the need to properly tailor programs to support truly innovative technologies.