Non-industry-specific term referring to the process of discovery and implementation of new principles, techniques and technologies in a given field. Usually referred to simply as R&D, it is a responsibility assumed by public institutions such as government agencies and universities, and a necessary investment for any business or industry that hopes to improve or maintain its position in the marketplace. Most public-sector R&D in the US energy industry is performed by, or under the direction of, the Department of Energy. The private sector supports the Electric Power Research Institute for the same purpose.

R&D does not necessarily relate strictly to the development of new products or industrial processes. The discovery and development of a more efficient billing method or transmission routing scheme is just as much a form of R&D as the invention of new forms of clean energy or research into superconductors.

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