The governmental origins of American innovation in clean technologies

Why is the US so productive in the invention of clean technology, despite relatively weak federal climate policy, deemed critical to provide incentives for related R&D investments? I argue that federal innovation policy actively pursued clean technology with renewed force since the early 2000s. Related policy has often been internal to federal agencies and not directly motivated by climate-related considerations. Concerns over energy security and demand for alternative energy technology by the Department of Defense (DoD) shifted federal R&D initiatives in favor of clean technologies in the early 2000s. The resulting initiatives have substantially impacted aggregate rates of invention in targeted technology classes. To make this case, I present a network analysis of over 140,000 patents and over 1.7 m patent citations, demonstrating that federal agencies have been the most important sources of invention within the US clean technology ecosystem since 2000. This study complicates the notion of the US as a climate policy laggard and demonstrates how state preferences over technology continue to shape the trajectory of innovation in the American political economy. • US clean technology innovation thrived despite limited federal climate legislation. • Federal agencies like DoD and DOE drove clean energy R&D since the early 2000s. • Government-funded patents have been central in patent citation network. • Strategic federal R&D can catalyze considerable private clean tech innovation.