In search of a miracle – U.S. invests in high-risk, high-payoff research for renewable energies

The United States federal government will invest $400 million over the next two years in search of new, renewable energy technologies that could result in high-payoff discoveries. Research is underway through the newly created Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy and is focused on what Secretary of Energy Steven Chu calls “the hunt for miracles.” High on the list of priorities is the quest to develop new batteries and fuels for vehicles that will enable them to run hundreds of miles a day on electricity generated from clean sources or fuels extracted from things like trees and garbage.

Both university labs, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as private start-up firms like FastCap Systems and Agrivida will be involved in the project. Exciting technologies are in the works, and before long we may be generating gasoline and jet fuel from genetically-modified plants.