President Obama has made it quite clear that developing a new energy policy is high on his list of policies. Although most everyone seems to be on board with him regarding looking for alternate and sustainable forms of energy, a struggle has developed in Washington over how the president wants to use the $150 billion he is pledging toward energy innovations over the next 10 years.

According to democrats who are on the House Select Subcommittee on Energy Independence and Global Warming staff, Obama’s plan will cover costs associated with research as well as development, but critics are concerned that the policy doesn’t account for the need to deploy existing non-polluting energy technologies or to fund large-scale demonstrations of the new technology. Although some democrats insist that demonstration and deployment are both included in the plan, critics cite the White House’s website, which simply says “Investing in the Next Generation of Energy Technologies: Invest $150 billion over 10 years in energy research and development to transition to a clean energy economy.”

According to a talking-points sheet that the White House has provided, however, President Obama’s plan will be more far-reaching than just research and development. In fact, the sheet claims that the “Administration believes that a sustained commitment on that scale is needed not only to make the multi-year federal investments needed to bring new technologies to commercialization but also to send a signal to private companies that the federal government is investing for the long term.”

The statement goes on to say that the Administration supports funding basic research and development as well as deployment and commercialization. While the addition of deployment within the agenda is pleasing to some, others are concerned that including deployment will take away funding that the laboratories need to make advancements in eco-friendly technology.

According to many experts, achieving Obama’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 80% less than they were in 1990 by 2050 is a goal that will require making significant advances in technology. As an example, getting optical fibers to transmit light for more than a half mile took 20 years to develop with the help of government funding. So, where the energy bill will ultimately go is yet to be seen, but it is very likely that we are at the pinnacle of an energy revolution, which means there has never been a better time to pursue a degree that will allow you to become part of the green movement.