Steven Chu Continues to Blow Taxpayer Money

We are all familiar with shows, such as the Home Show, Boat Show, and Automobile Show. They basically consist of demonstration of various companies products within the designated category (e.g. homes and appliances) and are open to the general public. They are a form of advertisement, with intention to increase sales of the demonstrated products.
   
Steven Chu's Department of Energy had a "conference" a few weeks ago to promote advanced energy research. It was not open to the general public, but 2600 scientists, engineers, investors, and business executives, and others attended. It appears that there were actually no products for sale. Why then the large attendance? The obvious answer is that Chu gives away taxpayer money, in the form of grants. Likely most of the attendees were there to determine how they could obtain a share of the free money.
   
Bill Gates was pushing use of depleted uranium for "advanced" nuclear energy. Bill Clinton had a contradictory program of reducing greenhouse gases and simultaneously promoting oil and gas development. But, most of the conference focused on emerging technologies, such as energy storage, electrical grid expansion, and renewable energy.
   
These are all good subjects and worthy for consideration, but Steven Chu has no business in this type of promotion using taxpayer funds not only for the promotion, but for using grants as bait to obtain the 2600 attendees.
   
We have many private companies involved in all aspects of energy production, storage, and use. There is no doubt that these companies are willing and able to develop sellable products in this field and an Energy Show could be easily justified on the same basis as other commercial Shows. Dumping large amounts of taxpayer money into" pie-in-the-sky" energy conferences has already proven to yield little or no practical value. Conversely, when private enterprise spends a dollar, its pretty sure that it will obtain a reasonable return in a practical period of time. More importantly, any risk involved is on their dollar, not mine.