The goal of balancing energy production, the environment and the economy is a major challenge in the United States and nearly every other country on the planet. Some believe this challenge will be met through international treaties and legislation.

But it won’t be legislators, regulators or negotiators who meet this challenge. Rather, risk-taking researchers who employ fresh thinking and new ideas give us our best chance to meet these goals. It is they who will discover the important breakthrough technologies to secure our energy future, so long as legislators, regulators and negotiators make sure to secure the intellectual property protections that will help enable this technological revolution.