You're kidding, right?
The glaringly obvious way to decrease energy dependence NOW is to use what we've already got. We're way behind on nuclear, and need to catch up. Research and development are fine, but we can't afford to wait another thirty years for "pie in the sky" concepts that, combined, will still never meet all the energy needs we have.
Meanwhile, China has no problems with nuclear power, building huge dams, and sucking up carbon fuels left and right. They'll eat our lunch while we're still trying to figure out how to power Manhattan with solar panels.