ARPA-E’s mission is to fund projects that will develop transformational technologies that reduce America’s dependence on foreign energy imports; reduce U.S. energy related emissions (including greenhouse gasses); improve energy efficiency across all sectors of the U.S. economy and ensure that the U.S. maintains its leadership in developing and deploying advanced energy technologies.

Specifically, the agency aims to:

• Enhance U.S. economic security by identifying technologies with the potential to substantially reduce energy imports from foreign sources; cut energy-related greenhouse gas emissions; and improve efficiency across the energy spectrum.
• Ensure the U.S. remains a technological and economic leader in developing and deploying advanced energy technologies.

ARPA-E focuses exclusively on high risk, high payoff concepts - technologies promising genuine transformation in the ways we generate, store and utilize energy.  While the DOE invests heavily in conventional energy research, ARPA-E is not intended to augment these efforts.  If just a fraction of the projects funded by ARPA-E are successful in reaching the marketplace, the U.S. will benefit greatly by creating new industries and jobs, making energy technologies substantially more cost-saving and profitable, and accelerating the timeframe for achieving energy and climate goals.