Congress has never properly done this as it applies to basic research. Instead, Congress has basic research done by tax dollars.
This applies to energy production in this way:
Right now, for most purposes, petroleum is the cheapest energy with other fossil fuels becoming economically efficient for various purposes. If basic research were protected, as the constitutions says it ought to be, then energy research would largely be private because everyone can see the "crossing points" where alternative energy sources become truly economically competitive with fossil fuels on the graphs of rising costs for fossil fuels plotted against cost of alternatives.
We shouldn't be needing public financing here. We wouldn't be wanting public financing if Congress acted To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.
Tax money spent on research is a miniscule part of the overall cost to our economy in terms of energy.
Think of how much tax money is spent subsidizing foreign oil production AND PROTECTION. HOW MUCH MILITARY TAX is spent because we do nothing otherwise?
Doesn't anyone know what a patent is anymore? Just because government grants research money does not give them exclusive patent right unless the researcher willingly gives it away! Or is it because it is a public benefit and "eminent domain" laws are stealing the good ideas "for future exploration"? If this is the case and socialism is seizing our inventive initiative then we are doomed as a nation.