I don't understand the question as worded, if it's a cheap energy source then it would already be made and being sold. Plenty of companies are looking to do this all the time, but have made some progress but not to the point where consumers would switch over.
Government funding any of that makes them less desperate to get results because their funding needs aren't as desperate and they aren't as pressed for time to get a return.
I think oil as it gradually increases in price will at some point get overtaken by ethanol or perhaps something will be invented by then, we'll see. I also think nuclear will play a bigger role and investors know that which is why the price of uranium has seen such incredibly huge gains recently.
Remember that most of America's newest success stories like in high tech had the least amount of government involvement.
You are being deliberately obtuse.
Do you think it would be good for the nation if we funded and researched and thus created the next advancement for energy, and because it was created and manufactured here do you think it also would be good for the nation?
Or
Do you think it would be better if we continued to ignore the funding, let it be created elsewhere, manufactured elsewhere, and thus grew more dependent on foreign sources for our energy, all because we were upset about scientists using scare tactics?
Seriously, does it matter WHY we do it, so long as we are the ONES to do it?
Regardless of whether the scientific 'consensus' is right, or if they are trashing skeptics in some conspiratorial scientific witch hunt, most of the world is jumping on this and will welcome the next advancement in clean energy production. If we are not on that bandwagon because we wish to continue to worry about whether or not scientists are "scaring" us into some unneeded action, and we thus miss this boat we are missing out on one of the largest cash cows ever.
Much like NASA, such research could infuse a serious amount of cash into our economy, boosting it beyond measure instead of leaching more money into foreign markets boosting theirs. All while creating joy-joy feelings in people who think they are saving the planet regardless of whether they were "frightened" into doing so by scientists.
My point. I don't give a rat's butt if they are wrong, I do if we dismiss them when they are creating the largest market for something I think we can produce right here with a "fly to the moon" type of national interest and drive. Let this create the drive in the US to take the next step while creating a huge market for the device that ends up being created, built and sold by Americans. Instead of fighting them for no reason, all of us would like clean air and water, use them to help drive that interest that can make all of us even richer and drive the nation to new heights.
In short. There is no reason to fight this, but there is every reason to use it wisely thus creating a better future for the US and cleaning up the air and water regardless of whether what we are doing accelerates a warming effect or not. Standing around being "anti-science" is helping you not at all, using the driving force to create something that will drive the world's economy and manufacture and sell it from here.... Such a better choice.