In huge news for nuclear energy, Georgia Power’s Vogtle facility in Waynesboro, Georgia began loading fuel last week – the first brand new nuclear reactor to do so in over three decades.
157 nuclear fuel rods were loaded into the core of the Unit 3 reactor at Vogtle – one of only two nuclear reactors currently being built in the U.S.
Unit 3 is expected to begin producing electricity in early 2023, while Unit 4 will do the same in late 2023.
When finished, both reactors will be able to power half a million homes and businesses.
What’s clear: 56 nuclear reactors are under construction across the globe, but only two of those are in the U.S – China alone is currently building 18 reactors, and has plans to build a total of 150 over the next 15 years. Building more nuclear reactors at home will help reduce emissions, boost the economy, and secure American energy independence.
Plug in: ClearPath CEO Rich Powell dives into exciting nuclear developments, including the fuel loading at the Vogtle facility, in The Hill Opinion.
2. Moving beyond false climate choices
Climate debates are often based around false choices: renewables versus fossils, economy versus environment, 100% global emissions reduction versus inaction at home.
Our CEO Rich Powell was featured as one of nine climate experts providing solutions to the climate challenge in a CNN opinion piece, explaining how moving beyond these false choices and unleashing American energy will help us solve the climate challenge.
Rich laid out three areas where both parties can work together on climate:
Leveraging American innovation and making clean energy cheaper;
Modernizing permitting to build cleaner and faster; and
Thinking global and leading with America first by exporting more American technology.
What’s clear: No government or business will achieve climate goals and see economic success unless all energy resources are on the table. Lawmakers in both parties can work together to ensure American energy leadership and independence.
3. House Republicans push for more U.S. nuclear energy exports
Russia and China currently dominate the international nuclear energy market, but House Republicans are working to change that with several initiatives.
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) introduced the bipartisan International Nuclear Energy Act with House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC).
In a letter to the Treasury Secretary, Reps. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) and French Hill (R-AK) urged the Biden Administration to press European financial institutions to support nuclear energy exports.
Plug in: Rep. Donalds’ bill would create nuclear export procedures, establish global nuclear financing relationships, promote regulatory improvements, and reduce reliance on Chinese and Russian nuclear fuel.
Reps. McHenry and Hill are recommending that the Treasury put more pressure on the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to include nuclear power in its portfolio. The U.S. is the largest EBRD shareholder.
What’s clear: Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have created unease in global markets. In the midst of these dynamics, nuclear energy will be integral. Russia and China both offer competitive financing of up to 90% of the cost of a nuclear power plant, and currently we’re reliant on Russia for nuclear fuel. That has to change.
4. Fox News reports on challenges to building new clean energy
Between permitting challenges and local pushback, it’s getting harder to build clean energy projects in the U.S.
Thomas Catenacci of Fox News detailed several instances of renewable energy projects receiving backlash from surrounding communities and – ironically – environmental groups, including:
Concern about bird deaths caused by onshore wind turbines;
Opposition to offshore wind farms due to cost and environmental risk; and
Pushback from rural communities against energy developers building solar farms.
Plug in: ClearPath’s report Hawkeye State Headwinds, cited in the Fox News piece, highlights challenges in onshore wind energy project siting, using Iowa as a case study.
Also, Jerusalem Demsas cites community pushback and the need for permitting reform as reasons that clean energy projects are difficult to build in The Atlantic.
5. ClearPath awarded at Nuclear Science Week
ClearPath was honored to receive a Nuclear Science Week Visionary Award from the University of Michigan College of Engineering Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences.
“Today there is incredible, bipartisan support for nuclear energy,” said Niko McMurray, Managing Director of Policy. “Accelerating policies to support nuclear energy has been central to ClearPath’s mission, and we are honored to receive the Nuclear Science Week Visionary Award. We look forward to continuing to collaborate and craft impactful policies that can support the deployment of U.S. nuclear companies.”
6. 44% worldwide CCS growth according to new report
Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies have seen incredible growth in the past year – 44% worldwide, according to a new report from the Global CCS Institute (GCCSI).
