The constraints of energy supply have been a long-term threat to the sustainable development of China.Technological progress and innovation are essential to helping solve this problem. Research and development (R&D)stock plays a key role in technological progress and innovation. Through comparisons with some other countries, it is found that China has fallen behind in the R&D stock for energy technology. The R&D stock can be improved by two means: one is putting capital and human resources in those strategically key fields; the other is taking advantage of the R&D resources from abroad. The strategically key fields include energy saving techniques, energy materials, the manufacture of key equipment and new energy resources.