Paul Gosar: “The ARPA-E program first began receiving funding through the 2009 Obama stimulus and is currently unauthorized. ARPA-E…”

“The ARPA-E program first began receiving funding through the 2009 Obama stimulus and is currently unauthorized. ARPA-E grew out of those years' overly optimistic perception of the Federal Government's ability to lead in areas of commercially viable energy research and technology, particularly in renewables. The obvious problem with this premise is that the government, unlike our Nation's industries and corporations, has never been in the business of cost-benefit maximization, as other blunders from that period, like the Solyndra scandal, demonstrated. This is because the Federal Government is competent and accomplished in the areas of basic, early-stage scientific research but poorly positioned to move research from concept to market. And ARPA-E provides even further demonstration of that. The Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies defunded the program in their FY18 draft passed bill. The administration and the Republican Study Committee have both advocated eliminating this stimulus-era program and have continually indicated that the proper role of government in energy research is at the level of basic research taking place in existent, well-funded programs like the Office of Science and the applied energy research and development program. Those DOE programs that they point to are more worthy recipients of Federal dollars, are effective, and produce results because they focus on the right goals.…”