Need for a System To Establish Priorities Among Fossil Energy Technologies

In an earlier report, GAO recommended that the Department of Energy (DOE) develop a system to establish priorities among the different fossil energy technologies and processes. A follow-up review of the DOE response to that report demonstrated again the need for DOE to establish a priority-setting system. Because little data exist for emerging technologies, considerable reliance will be placed on estimates and projections, and methods used to establish priorities rely heavily on subjective judgment. However, applying such judgment consistently can better ensure the inclusion of all significant factors and provide a better-documented basis for priority-setting.