1. The key to American energy leadership (Bloomberg)
The Energy Act of 2020 and bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) authorized and funded a variety of project demonstrations, but ensuring these projects get built will require the right experience at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
ClearPath CEO Rich Powell and former DOE Undersecretary for Science Paul Dabbar wrote a column laying out solutions to help the Department build new energy projects cleaner and faster, including:
Hiring staff with private industry, construction, and operations backgrounds;
Using peer-review advisory boards specialized to each energy technology; and
Strengthening coordination with existing applied offices within DOE
What’s clear: Implementing the next generation energy demonstration program successfully is crucial for accelerating deployment and maintaining American energy leadership over Russia and China.
2. House Republicans introduce new critical mineral permitting bill
Ranking Members Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Bruce Westerman (R-AR) introduced new permitting legislation, the Securing America’s Mineral Supply Chains Act.
The bill aims to bolster energy security and reduce America’s dependence on foreign adversaries like China for critical mineral resources by:
Designating a lead agency to modernize the mining permitting process;
Setting time limits on key permitting steps;
Requiring the U.S. Geological Survey to report Chinese and Russian involvement in the American critical mineral supply chain; and
Authorizing security waivers to speed up the permitting process for domestic mineral processing facilities, among other requirements.
Plug in: To achieve clean energy goals, the U.S. needs more minerals and we should source them here at home, not import them from China. American energy security depends on modernizing the broken federal permitting process.
3. Bipartisan effort to bolster hydrogen
In other energy legislation news, two bipartisan hydrogen bills were introduced in the House:
Reps. Scott Peters (D-CA), Mike Doyle, (D-PA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the Hydrogen for Industry Act, which would establish a grant program supporting commercial scale demonstrations of hydrogen technology for steel, cement, and other industrial facilities.
Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) joined Reps. Peters, Doyle, and Fitzpatrick to introduce the Hydrogen for Industry Act, which would create a pilot financing program to support new or retrofitted hydrogen storage, delivery, and other midstream infrastructure.
What’s clear: Hydrogen remains one of the most promising technologies to unlock America’s clean energy potential as a low- to no-carbon energy carrier that can be produced, transported, and used all in America.
DOE announced $50 million in funding for a new nuclear fusion development program authorized in the Energy Act of 2020.
The program will support private businesses who partner with National Laboratories, universities, and other entities to develop a successful fusion pilot plant.
Funding will be awarded as milestones toward completing the plant.
What’s clear: For decades, scientists have been trying to harness the reaction at the core of the sun to generate power by creating a fusion generator that could supply the world with unlimited clean electricity. Recent designs and scientific breakthroughs are bringing this closer to reality.
Plug in: ClearPath CEO Rich Powell explains how public-private partnerships were the key to the immense success of hydraulic fracturing and the American natural gas boom in under two minutes.
5. New faces at Climate Week
Last week, ClearPath joined the American Petroleum Institute at Climate Week NYC to host a first-of-its kind event: conversations highlighted how the oil and gas industry may be best suited to lead the energy transition at scale.
You often hear us talk about moving beyond the false choices that have dominated climate discussions: renewables versus fossils, economy versus environment, 100% reductions around the world versus inaction here at home.
But, no entity will achieve climate goals AND increase supply AND see economic success unless all energy resources are on the table – including oil and gas.
6. First advanced nuclear reactor at an American military base
The U.S. Air Force has released a request for a proposal to build an advanced nuclear microreactor at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska.
The pilot program is being developed as part of the FY 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, which requires the Air Force to construct a microreactor by the end of 2027.
The reactor will be licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) but commercially owned and operated.
ClearPath Action launched a campaign highlighting conservative, commonsense solutions to climate change that will:
Bolster the American economy;
Protect our workforce; and
Make energy cleaner and more affordable.
Plug in: The 30-second ad is currently running on cable news, including Fox News, and digital platforms. Watch the full video on our YouTube channel.
8. ICYMI
Our Senior Program Director Alex Fitzsimmons participated in a panel on “Clean Energy Transition Requirements: Critical Minerals, Supply Chains, and Domestic Manufacturing” as part of National Clean Energy Week.
The Bipartisan Policy Center released a report on The Role of Categorical Exclusions in Achieving Net-Zero by 2050.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) launched the Western Governors’ Association Heat Beneath our Feet initiative exploring opportunities for increased deployment of geothermal energy.
That’s all from us. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
