Research and development (R&D) is the unsung hero of American innovation. Government-funded R&D spurs new industries, creates jobs and helps us tackle our greatest challenges. Decades ago, that challenge was the space race; today, it is climate change. Clean energy innovation is the solution to climate change. … We don’t have the luxury of waiting for new technologies to emerge. We need to rapidly accelerate the pace of innovation to meet the climate challenge. The Department of Energy is the single largest supporter of basic science R&D in the United States.