The National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council have a number of resources available featuring the topic of energy.
America’s Energy Future
There is a growing sense of national urgency about the role of energy in long-term U.S. economic vitality, national security, and climate change. The U.S. has the resources to combat this energy challenge. The dilemma is to identify which solutions will be right for our country and how to address the massive technological and social changes to come.
To fill this information gap, the National Academies launched the America’s Energy Future study, which explored energy technologies, providing authoritative estimates and analysis of the current and future supply of and demand for energy; new and existing technologies to meet those demands; their associated impacts; and their projected costs. This effort resulted in the publication of the following resources.
National Research Council Reports: These reports, geared to an expert audience, are available as free PDFs or for purchase in print. Click on the links below to find out more about each title.
America's Energy Future: Technology and Transformation: Summary Edition (2009)
- America's Energy Future: Technology and Transformation (2009)
- Liquid Transportation Fuels from Coal and Biomass: Technological Status, Costs, and Environmental Impacts (2009)
Electricity from Renewable Resources: Status, Prospects, and Impediments (2010)
- Real Prospects for Energy Efficiency in the United States (2010)
What You Need to Know About Energy: The following resources, derived from the reports and studies of the National Research Council, are geared to general audiences and serve as primers on the topic of energy: