In 2008, the private sector spent about $232 billion on research and
development in the United States, dwarfing the modest $60 billion of
public funds used for private R&D in the same year, according to the
National Science Foundation’s Business R&D and Innovation Survey.
The automobile industry spent an impressive $3 billion pursuing fuel
efficiency, electric vehicles and alternatives to the combustion engine.
Similarly, the semiconductor industry spent $3 billion on energy
R&D focused on improving the energy efficiency of microprocessors
and developing more powerful solar cells.
By contrast, the petroleum, coal and mining industries spent an
underwhelming $1.9 billion collectively on energy R&D in 2008.
by William Pentland, http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2012/09/03/big-oil-is-not-so-big-on-energy-research/
