What Does the Department of Energy Do, Really?

This text was initially revealed at The Dialog. The publication contributed the article to Dwell Science's Knowledgeable Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

A former governor of Texas — the state that produces extra crude oil, pure fuel, lignite coal, wind energy and refined petroleum merchandise than some other — would appear to be a pure selection for secretary of vitality. But, assuming he's confirmed by the Senate, Rick Perry will face a paradox.

Whereas the Division of Protection defends us, and the Division of Treasury manages federal funds and supervises banks, the Division of Vitality doesn't present America's vitality. Sure, it markets hydroelectric energy from dams run by the Military Corps of Engineers, however U.S. vitality manufacturing is overwhelmingly a job for the non-public sector.

The Vitality Division is a hodgepodge of organizations, a few of which existed many years earlier than DOE was created in 1977. Nevertheless it has two core missions: nuclear vitality, weapons and cleanup, which account for 68 p.c of the division's fiscal 12 months 2016 finances; and analysis and growth (together with fundamental science) to advance cleaner or extra environment friendly methods to provide and use vitality, which constitutes 28 p.c of its finances. The incoming secretary might want to marshal these nuclear and scientific capabilities to fulfill key nationwide safety challenges, together with a resurgent Russia and the specter of nuclear proliferation and terrorism.

The division of nuclear weapons and science

Bodily science is on the coronary heart of all the things DOE does. Certainly, it may as precisely be known as the Division of Bodily Science (in distinction to the life sciences, which largely reside on the Nationwide Institutes of Well being and the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention).

The Vitality Division's 17 nationwide laboratories deal with physics, chemistry, and supplies and different sciences. They function at a excessive degree: 115 scientists related to the division or its predecessors have received Nobel prizes. These laboratories are treasured nationwide sources that improve American welfare, prosperity and safety.

Many individuals in Washington may snigger on the thought, however the Nationwide Nuclear Safety Administration, or NNSA, which accounts for nearly half of the division's US$30 billion finances, arguably rivals Apple in producing three totally different however associated merchandise at a world-class degree. The U.S. nuclear weapons program is first-rate by way of science, security, safety and reliability. The naval reactors program, which designs and maintains the techniques that energy the Navy's submarines and plane carriers, ensures that our underwater fleet is unmatched in stealth and reliability, and subsequently in army effectiveness. And the nuclear nonproliferation program, which works to stop nuclear proliferation and terrorism and to tell arms management coverage with technical experience, has a wider worldwide attain and a deeper roster of actions than some other such effort on the earth.

Administration challenges for the subsequent secretary

DOE and its laboratories even have main administration challenges. Most of the division's services are one-of-a-kind and function on the border between science and know-how, in a high-security setting, usually utilizing probably hazardous materials or processes.

All of those elements introduce threat, which is inherent in using novel applied sciences required to fulfill extremely demanding technical necessities. One instance is the Nationwide Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore Nationwide Laboratory, the world's largest laser instrument, designed to create temperatures and pressures unseen exterior of stars. All too usually these bold objectives and rigorous requirements have resulted in value overruns.

To achieve success, the subsequent vitality secretary might want to focus relentlessly on three priorities. First, she or he might want to enhance contract and challenge administration. The Division's Workplace of Environmental Administration and the NNSA — which collectively spend greater than half of the company's finances — have been on the U.S. Authorities Accountability Workplace's high-risk checklist for years. Companies and applications on this checklist are weak to fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement or in pressing want of transformation.

Beginning within the George W. Bush administration, and persevering with beneath the Obama administration, the division tremendously improved its operations, however a lot stays to be completed. If Congress doesn't have faith in how the division is spending treasured taxpayer , it's prone to reduce funding for DOE applications.

Second, the subsequent vitality secretary might want to full ongoing efforts to reverse the decay of our nuclear weapons advanced. A lot of the U.S. nuclear arsenal and the services essential to make and preserve it have outlasted their anticipated lifetimes. Deferred upkeep can not be postpone and out of date services can not function.

The Obama administration began this work, promising in 2010 so as to add $14 billion over 10 years to enhance infrastructure. However a sustained dedication is required. One large problem will probably be to maintain a brand new $6.5 billion uranium processing facility on observe for completion by 2025.

Third, the subsequent vitality secretary might want to reinvigorate work to stop nuclear proliferation and terrorism. NNSA operates the most important applications to detect, safe and get rid of harmful nuclear materials on the earth. These applications are very important to U.S. safety, and every of the final 4 presidents has put his stamp on them.

President George H. W. Bush started the method in 1991 by signing the Nunn-Lugar laws, which supplied cash because the Soviet Union broke aside to safe and take away Soviet nuclear weapons and supplies from the brand new nations of Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. President Clinton set the agenda and established applications to put in bodily safety and supplies accounting, detect nuclear smuggling and consolidate the variety of services that stocked weapons-usable nuclear supplies.

After the 9/11 terrorist assaults, President George W. Bush doubled this system finances and accelerated its tempo. And President Obama broadened the trouble by convening 4 nuclear safety summits, the place world leaders pledged to take tons of of steps to guard nuclear supplies and stop nuclear terrorism.

Now these summits are over and cooperation with Russia is in tatters. DOE's funding requests for nuclear safety cooperation have declined yearly since 2011, and the finances now could be smaller than when President Obama took workplace. It's vitally necessary for the Trump administration to set bold new objectives and supply sufficient sources for these applications.

Main DOE

Previous secretaries of vitality have come from a variety of backgrounds, together with the Navy, business and academia. Probably the most profitable ones targeted sharply on undertaking two or three large objectives and avoiding the myriad distractions that DOE's sprawling paperwork continually raises. Additionally they trusted senior DOE staffers' scientific and technical judgment, however requested onerous questions.

The Trump marketing campaign didn't lay out detailed nuclear coverage or vitality analysis and growth plans, which is comprehensible as a result of these points weren't excessive priorities for the voters. It would subsequently fall to the subsequent vitality secretary to outline them — and nationwide safety, not vitality manufacturing, would be the highest precedence.

William H. Tobey, Senior Fellow, Belfer Heart for Science and Worldwide Affairs, Harvard Kennedy College, Harvard College

This text was initially revealed on The Dialog. Learn the unique article.

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