Welcome to your Friday Rundown for the week ending Sept. 29. Your feedback is also welcome at info@clearpathaction.org.
POLL SHOWS CLEAN ENERGY MOVES KEY VOTERS
A survey of GOP and independent voters in states key to the 2018 congressional midterm election show strong support for Republican candidates who take action on clean energy.
In the eight states surveyed, Republicans gained a 25% swing on average over the generic ballot after focused messaging on clean energy, according to the early June poll commissioned by ClearPath Action. Among those who voted for President Trump, 77 percent said they support accelerating clean energy, with 39 percent citing strong support. Nearly 90 percent of independents said they support accelerating clean energy, with more than 60 percent citing strong support.
The Energy Department today submitted a proposal to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to shore up the resiliency of the electric grid, including protecting against premature retirements of nuclear plants. The proposal aims to institute “just and reasonable rates” in the wholesale pricing market to better value reliable, resilient and clean power sources such as nuclear energy.
“Not only is nuclear our largest source of clean energy, it is also by far our most reliable and resilient, evidenced by strong performance of nuclear plants during the recent hurricanes,” ClearPath Executive Director Rich Powell said. “Nuclear plants, however, are not compensated for this resiliency. Secretary Perry’s bold action today will stabilize America’s world-leading nuclear fleet and sends a strong signal in support of baseload clean energy.”
PERRY PLUGS SMALL NUCLEAR AMID PUERTO RICO DISASTER
Energy Secretary Rick Perry said small modular nuclear reactors could in the future help the millions without power in hurricane ravaged areas such as Puerto Rico, where 80% of electricity transmission and 100% of the power distribution system were damaged due to Hurricane Maria. Such reactors could be “literally put into the back of C-117” and we can “crank it up and plug it in” areas where the energy infrastructure has been heavily damaged or destroyed. “This is the type of innovation that is going on at our national labs,” Perry said. Congress, he added, should further consider how to aid advanced nuclear power.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Lisa Murkowski said her panel may hold a hearing in the coming weeks on the damage done in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, Politico Pro reported.
BUSY NATIONAL CLEAN ENERGY WEEK
Perry was joined by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on stage at a symposium during a packed National Clean Energy Week, an effort led by Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions and including ClearPath and major nuclear, hydropower, renewable power and other clean energy organizations. Perry touted battery storage as the “holy grail of our energy world” and singled out such research and innovation also happening at national labs. Perry also highlighted carbon capture, including the Petra Nova facility near Houston, as “clearly the type of technology that can change the world” and should be exported to countries such as China.
RELATED EVENT NEXT TUESDAY:Global CCS Institute forum Oct. 3 on the business case for the U.S and Norway helping to drive development of carbon capture technologies and infrastructure, featuring ClearPath Executive Director Rich Powell, Gassnova CEO Trude Sundset and Statoil’s Steinar Eikaas. DETAILS
Also speaking at the Sept. 26 National Clean Energy Week symposium, Rep. Ryan Costello (R-Pa.) stressed “allowing innovation to lead” rather than regulation. “Innovation is already headed in the right direction” and not relying on regulatory compliance, he said.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) at the event said the U.S. can double hydropower production “without building a single new dam” by readdressing the “antiquated, arbitrary relicensing process” for existing projects.
Perry asked the National Petroleum Council to study how to integrate “exciting” carbon capture technologies with enhanced oil recovery. REUTERS
The Energy Department will award $36 million for carbon capture research. The funds, provided through the Office of Fossil Energy, will give $30 million to up to four projects tied to improving carbon capture technologies to engineering scale and $6 million to up to two projects focused on initial engineering, testing and design for a commercial-scale, post-combustion carbon capture system. PLATTS
The Senate Energy Subcommittee holds a hearing Oct. 3on a bipartisan bill from Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) that would set a goal by 2028 for demonstrating at least four new advanced reactor designs. The Advanced Nuclear Energy Technologies Act (S. 1457) would foster public-private partnerships that help pave the way for commercializing the next generation of nuclear power facilities which produce less waste, have state-of-the-art safety standards and are smaller, cheaper and quicker to build. ClearPath has similarly highlighted goals for advanced nuclear, grid-storage and carbon capture technologies over the next decade.
THE PATH AHEAD
TUESDAY House Energy Subcommittee hearing on “Defining Reliability in a Transforming Electricity Industry.” DETAILS
TUESDAY House Science Committee hearing on electric grid resiliency, featuring Pacific Northwest National Lab’s Carl Imhoff DETAILS
TUESDAY Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing on energy storage technologies DETAILS
WEDNESDAY Senate Environment and Public Works hearing on Democrat Jeff Baran’s nomination for another five-year term on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. DETAILS
THURSDAY House Energy Subcommittee hearing on “Consumer-Oriented Perspectives on Improving the Nation’s Electricity Markets.” DETAILS
