Key Clean Energy Leaders for 117th Congress
There is still plenty to digest with the election results, but also a few key outcomes that bode extremely well for clean energy innovation in the 117th Congress. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) will return as a key member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Senator Collins is also a leader on key policies such as the Better Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Act. Her BEST Act counterpart in the U.S. House, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), also won re-election. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), who has championed various carbon capture innovation efforts, including the Launching Energy Advancement through Innovations in Natural Gas (LEADING) Act, was re-elected. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) made clean energy innovation a key message of his platform and is the U.S. House leader of the LEADING Act. Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) will be returning and is the author of the Energy Sector Innovation Credit (ESIC) Act, which will help accelerate U.S. energy markets to be technology-diverse, innovative and good for consumers. Other leaders like Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Fred Upton
(R-MI) have been constant advocates for clean energy innovation policy on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Texas Energy Summit:
Policies to Extend Texas’ Leadership in Hydrogen, CCUS, and
Direct Air Capture
Next Tuesday, November 10, ClearPath Executive Director Rich Powell is participating in a breakout session at the Texas Energy Summit titled, “Policies to Extend Texas’ Leadership in Hydrogen, CCUS, and Direct Air Capture.” Now in its 17th year, the Summit explores the intersection of energy systems, emissions reductions and economic development.
Foreign Policy Virtual Dialogue: Clean Energy Innovation
Foreign Policy magazine and ClearPath will be hosting a discussion on November 18 with private and public sector thought leaders about driving innovation and exports in the US clean energy market to bolster domestic economic growth and reduce global carbon emissions.
Tune in on November 18 to hear from leading voices from government, industry, and finance about how we can most effectively tailor support for US clean energy innovation and exports, including strategies to reduce the cost of these technologies for developing markets worldwide.
Speakers include experts from government, international financing and technology development:
E&E News:
Trump or Biden? Voters to set pace for U.S. emission cuts
E&E News wrote a piece claiming the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy will continue regardless of who wins the presidency – but noted it is unclear “whether that transition happens quickly enough to meet the goals of the Paris climate accord.” Read more
Rich’s Take
“Any plan to have carbon-free electricity by 2035 is wonderfully unrealistic. Even if it were economically and technically feasible, which we doubt, it is undoubtedly not permit-able under current regulations. The private sector is making big bets they’ll reach net-zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2050. We need to work towards making sure the private sector has the technology needed to get them all the way to net-zero.”
CORE POWER Announces Participation in Team to develop MSR Technology in the US
London-based CORE POWER on Monday announced its participation in an international team with Southern Company, TerraPower, and Orano USA to develop Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) technology in the United States. The team submitted its application to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to partake in cost-share risk reduction awards under the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) to build a prototype MSR. Read more
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
GreenBiz: Advanced nuclear, A climate-tech comeback story
GreenBiz published a story this week on how the size, flexibility, and safety designs are contributing to the exciting momentum for advanced nuclear energy that is becoming more attractive to investors. They wrote, “Nuclear power has taken a backstage role to renewables as a clean and promising energy option, but it’s on the verge of entering back into the limelight, potentially much sooner than some might expect.” Read more
Recap:
Universities Going Nuclear Event
Several universities are looking at new nuclear energy technologies for their campus. ClearPath and the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) hosted a webinar that featured three universities. Dr. Rita Baranwal, Assistant Secretary for Office of Nuclear Energy, offered introductory remarks, and representatives from Abilene Christian University, the University of Illinois, and the University of Tennessee Knoxville discussed this exciting work. ClearPath Executive Director Rich Powell and CATF Executive Director Armond Cohen co-moderated the event.
November 10: S&P Global Platts is hosting the Hydrogen Markets Americas Virtual Conference, featuring an event titled, “Financing Hydrogen Infrastructure: Next Steps.” More details and registration information here
November 10: The Texas Energy Summit is hosting a breakout session at 4:00pm ET titled, “Policies to Extend Texas’ Leadership in Hydrogen, CCUS, and Direct Air Capture.” ClearPath Executive Director Rich Powell is participating on the panel. Registration here
November 11: The Nuclear Threat Initiative, the World Institute of Nuclear Security, and Third Way are hosting an online event at 11:00am ET for a discussion on a new report: “Security of Advanced Reactors.” More details and registration information here
November 18: ClearPath and Foreign Policy are hosting a virtual dialogue at 11:00am EST, “Clean Energy Innovation: A Path to Strengthen US Competitiveness & Drive Global Development.” Speaker information forthcoming, but details and registration information here.
