Fifty years ago, in 1962 President John F. Kennedy challenged the nation's greatest scientific and business leaders to "put a man on the moon by the end of the decade." We rose to the challenge and we hit that goal in the summer of 1969.
Fast-forward to the 21st century, and we are facing a new challenge: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions dramatically very soon, or face more extreme weather patterns and destructive, volatile weather events due to climate change.
And what better way to promote rapid advancement in technology than to throw down the gauntlet. Speak out loud an outrageous goal, and challenge everybody to rise to the occasion.
CLEANER ENERGY AT AFFORDABLE PRICES
That challenge has now been issued for clean energy! The U.S. Department of Energy wants to reduce the cost of solar energy systems by 75% by the end of the decade. DOE has created a collaborative program called the SunShot Initiative, and the goal is to kickstart the solar industry with laser-focused research and design so that a decade from now it is self-sustaining with no taxpayer subsidies necessary, with competitive market forces working to spur innovation, growth and investment in a sector driven by greater consumer demand: cleaner energy at affordable prices!