An ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will conduct a study to consider the overall mission and direction for the research and assessments conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Energy Resources Program (ERP) as the program works to best support meeting the nation’s future energy needs. Informed by background documents provided by the ERP and its own information-gathering activities, the committee will:
Summarize the nation’s geologically based energy resource challenges and how existing or future ERP data, research, and assessments could address them. The summary will include land, resource management, and regulatory issues and context from national and international energy outlooks.
Discuss how ERP objectives and its science portfolio align with the needs of federal and non-federal consumers of ERP products. Describe how ERP may improve that alignment.
Provide recommendations on areas where ERP’s research portfolio would, over the next 10-15 years, have high potential to benefit and serve both USGS energy priorities and those of U.S. Government more broadly.