Warp speed for clean energy? Here is why it just won’t work

Given the success of Operation Warp Speed in driving vaccine development [in America], some commentators have called for Warp Speed equivalents for clean energy—including batteries, geothermal power and nuclear micro-reactors. Before agreeing to any such plan, however, it’s worth asking what enabled Operation Warp Speed to deliver quality vaccines so fast.

The programme commits the government to purchasing a large number of vaccines in advance (it also gave many of the companies research and development money). The total cost of the programme is about $18 billion. That is hardly cheap, but neither is it a budget buster. And it pales when compared to the short-run benefits of stemming the pandemic.