Industrial emissions are set to be the top source of emissions by 2030, surpassing the electric power and transportation sectors. Globally, industrial emissions make up 40 percent of total emissions, yet it’s hardly talked about here in our nation’s capital.
This week ClearPath and Clean Air Task Force hosted a summit to talk about solutions featuring:
U.S. Sens. Capito (R-WV), Coons (D-DE), and Tillis (R-NC);
DOE Under Secretary for Infrastructure David Crane; and
Industrial sector innovators, experts, policymakers, and more.
What’s clear: One of the biggest global environmental policies we can all get behind is bringing more manufacturing and more energy production back to the United States, because our environmental standards are superior. Breakthrough industrial technologies featured at this summit will help put us on the path to bring more manufacturing back to the U.S.
Plug in: Check out our blog post to learn more about what happened at the summit.
2. ClearPath Government Affairs and External Affairs Add Hires
ClearPath welcomed two new hires, Taylor Childress as Government Affairs Manager and Frances Wetherbee as External Affairs Associate.
Taylor previously worked in the U.S. House of Representatives for four years, serving in both the TN and OK delegations.
Frances comes to ClearPath from the television news industry where she most recently worked at WFMY News 2 in Greensboro, NC as a broadcast producer.
3. Nuclear energy bill in NDAA will help U.S. leadership
The Accelerating Deployment of Versatile Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act was included as an amendment to the U.S. Senate National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this week.
ADVANCE was led by Sens. Capito (R-W.VA), Carper, (D-DE), and Whitehouse (D-RI).
The legislation strengthens America’s nuclear fuel supply chain infrastructure;
Improves the licensing process for new reactor projects; and
Strengthens U.S. global leadership in nuclear energy.
What’s clear: The ADVANCE Act provides a variety of procedures and programs to reinforce and revive the U.S. nuclear energy sector. It positions the United States as the global leader in advanced nuclear development which not only gives us an economic advantage but also makes progress towards a net zero domestic energy portfolio.
4. Brimstone developing breakthrough clean cement
Brimstone Energy continues to be a leading tech company in industrial decarbonization, and recently received third-party certification that its cement meets or exceeds ASTM C150 standards for ordinary portland cement.
This innovation in cement production is revolutionary as the first ultra-low carbon, carbon neutral or carbon negative cement to meet this requirement.
What’s clear: Innovations in cement and concrete productions are the answer for the U.S. to achieve emissions reductions within the industrial sector. Brimstone is literally “paving” the way for future innovation by proving its cement meets trusted industry standards which will allow Brimstone to sell this low-carbon cement at-scale throughout the U.S.
Plug in: Check out this map of cement headquarters and facilities in the U.S.
5. Class VI permit granted for emissions captured from fertilizer & hydrogen
Wabash Valley Resources announced they will likely receive two Class VI permits from the U.S. EPA to sequester captured carbon dioxide.
Carbon emissions will be captured from the Wabash Valley Resources fertilizer and hydrogen production facility in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Planned to be safely sequestered nearly one mile underground.
Project is a $1 billion investment, creating local jobs.
What’s clear: If the U.S. and the world are going to meet goals to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions, carbon capture, utilization and sequestration (CCUS) will play a key role. Several states are already permitting carbon sequestration, but this permit marks the first in over 8 years that the EPA has granted a permit for this important practice. More than 100 permits are still backlogged.
6. Fervo is so hot right now
Fervo Energy, an innovator developing 24/7 renewable geothermal, is one big step closer to commercialization and providing zero-emissions power to 300,000 homes in northern Nevada.
Fervo completed a 30-day well test of its commercial pilot and was able to generate 3.5 megawatts of electricity.
This project will connect to the grid later this year.
What’s clear: Geothermal is a critical, clean, renewable, dispatchable power source that deserves more attention. Geothermal harnesses the Earth’s core for heat that can be used in homes, industrial processes, or to generate electricity. Geothermal is the only renewable resource that truly is available 24/7/365.
X-energy and Energy Northwest have signed an agreement for up to 12 small reactors in central Washington.
Energy Northwest expects to bring the first Xe-100 reactormodule online by 2030.
Each Xe-100 reactormodule can provide 80 megawatts of full-time electricity or 200 megawatts of high-temperature steam.
The project will be developed adjacent to the Columbia Generating Station.
What’s clear: In the U.S., nuclear utilities are calling for 90 GW of new nuclear power by 2050, nearly doubling our nuclear energy capacity in the next 30 years. Building more clean, reliable electricity is a win-win for consumers.
8. ICYMI
ClearPath’s Chief Strategy Officer Jeremy Harrell spoke on a panel at the 26th Annual Congressional Renew Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum on how the U.S. should lead as a global technology provider.
Rep. Donalds (R-FL) led a bipartisan group of lawmakers urging the Department of Defense to support Project Pele, a plan to design, build, demonstrate, and deploy a prototype mobile nuclear microreactor by 2025.
9. Coming down the pipeline
Today at 12:00 PM EST – ClearPath’s Chief Strategy Officer, Jeremy Harrell, will testify before the House Natural Resources Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Field Hearing in Phoenix, AZ on “Securing Supply Chains: Access to Critical Minerals in the American Southwest”. Jeremy’s testimony will focus on establishing a national investment strategy for critical mineral supply chains.
That’s all from us. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!