OR Practice—Selecting a Portfolio of Environmental Programs for a Synthetic Fuels Facility

This article describes how a U.S. Department of Energy steering committee used a decision analysis procedure to develop a portfolio of environmental and health research programs for a commercial-scale synthetic fuels facility. The procedure used information and insights from decision analyses conducted in five technical areas to support decision analysis at the portfolio level. The problem was complex because it included many combinations of studies that could be funded; multiple objectives in the five technical areas, as well as at the portfolio level; and uncertainties about research needs, the availability of technical data, and research costs. The article discusses: the rationale for using formal decision analysis, the main features of the procedure, and how the procedure provided the steering committee with a logical basis for evaluating a large number of diverse technical projects and, with the help of health and environmental experts, established research priorities and budget allocations in a logical and defensible manner.