Happy Friday! Wishing everyone a great and safe Memorial Day weekend.
1. Opinion: Building the Global Nuclear Energy Order Book
ClearPath’s Niko McMurray co-authored an op-ed making the case that Congress must work on ways to keep producing American nuclear energy or run the risk of falling behind foreign adversaries such as China and Russia.
What’s clear: To meet demand and compete in the market, the industry must build an order book to encourage commercial investment in new nuclear projects – which can build momentum to commercialize next-generation facilities.
Plug-in: Read the full op-ed piece in RealClearEnergyhere.
2. (ag)gregating farm bill provisions in the House
The House Agriculture Committee held a markup yesterday of the Farm Bill, which passed out of Committee with bipartisan support and a final vote 33 to 21.
The Agriculture Advanced Research Development Agency (AGARDA), USDA’s version of DOE’s ARPA-E, is reauthorized until 2029.
Biochar research is listed as a high-priority research and extension initiative, and a national biochar research network may be established to test the full range of biochar types across environments.
Nitrous oxide emissions reduction is added to the list of eligible practices for increased Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) payments.
What’s clear: Agricultural innovation developed through research programs and implemented through voluntary conservation programs enhances American farmer’s productivity and efficiency while lowering emissions.
Plug-in: Learn more about U.S. agricultural innovation here.
3. Need for permitting reform highlighted at Senate ENR hearing
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing this week focused on increasing energy demand and the need for more power.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) emphasized the need for judicial review: “Congress needs to fill the gap to provide more certainty for projects looking to move forward to meet America’s record energy demands.”
Sen. Angus King (I-ME) noted the challenge of building projects because of legal uncertainty: “As states attempt to build infrastructure to meet increased load growth, they are faced with legal challenges with permitting delays hamstringing approved projects.”
What’s clear: Increased demand creates more urgency for permitting modernization.
4. U.S. industrial decarbonization trajectory
The industrial sector will be the largest source of U.S. emissions by 2035, according to a new Rhodium Group report.
The report found:
Under current policy and technology deployment levels, CCS and hydrogen will only reduce emissions by 5-10% by 2040, so further policy and technology support is required.
CCS and hydrogen need to be complemented by other innovative technology including advanced nuclear and thermal battery storage to reduce industrial emissions.
What’s clear: The industrial sector is harder to decarbonize than sectors like power and needs sustained policy support to boost innovation, create jobs, and strengthen American manufacturing.
5. Commemorating a decade of clean energy
This year, ClearPath is celebrating 10 years of clean energy, American innovation, and conservative leadership. Our newly launched web page showcases major policy wins throughout the past decade, leading to monumental results for reduced global emissions.
Plug-in: If there is one thing you can count on ClearPath doing for the next 10 years: it’s supporting America’s free-market advantage. When American energy works, we all win…
6. The nuclear fuel facilities at the core of the industry’s success
ClearPath visiting Urenco with Third Way and Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy.
What we know – nuclear energy accounts for about 20 percent of total United States electricity generated each year. It’s the largest zero-emissions power source in the U.S. and the industry directly provides an estimated 100,000 jobs.
Recent incentives and demonstration programs have created a pathway for more power generation, attention is turning to where we source and how we manufacture the fuel; and, the ever-looming question of what we do with the spent fuel, or as many call it — nuclear waste.
America’s southwest region hosts Urenco USA (UUSA), Waste Control Specialists (WCS) and Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP):
The WCS which stores and disposes of low-level nuclear waste,
Urenco provides 1/3 of the U.S. demand for enriched uranium; and
WIPP is the only deep geologic repository in the U.S. for the disposal of nuclear waste.
Plug-in: Check out this blog to learn more about the impact of nuclear power on America’s clean energy future.
7. ICYMI
A recent Rhodium Group analysis of four Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs found that the public-private partnerships will create thousands of ongoing jobs and up to 3.2 MMT of clean hydrogen per year.
Zero Carbon Systems has acquired Global Thermostat, one of the first major direct air capture startups based in the U.S.
The NRC accepted for review TerraPower’s application to build the company’s Natrium nuclear power plant near Kemmerer, Wyoming.
That’s all from us. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
