1. The critical missing link in Democrats’ climate plans…
…is streamlining the permitting process, according to the Aspen Institute’s latest report, “Building Cleaner, Faster.”
What’s clear: We can only build new clean energy projects and cut carbon emissions as fast as we can permit the projects to do so.
What Aspen found: “Achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is ecologically essential, technologically feasible, economically achievable, but procedurally impossible.” Their recommendations:
Immediate approvals for projects with well-understood environmental impacts.
Accelerated approvals for those with unique, local impacts.
Faster adjudication to stop prolonged litigation from bogging down approved projects.
Consistent state and local policies to keep federally supported projects on the same framework and speedy timeline regardless of location.
Plug in: We can reform permitting without weakening environmental protections, adding regulations or taxes, or cutting out public input, our own Jena Lococo explains in “If You Permit It, They Will Build.”
2. America to break reliance on Russia for advanced nuclear fuel
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)granted a license to Centrus Energy, a nuclear fuel supplier, to start domestic production of HALEU — the nuclear equivalent of premium gasoline.
What’s clear: Most of the dozens of advanced nuclear reactor designs under development in the U.S. will only run on HALEU — and right now Russia is the world’s only supplier.
The tech: HALEU — high-assay, low-enriched uranium — is enriched beyond what today’s nuclear reactors need, but well shy of a nuclear weapon.
How we got here: This license is the culmination of a 3-year, $115 million production cost-share between Centrus and DOE.
The Energy Act of 2020 required DOE to establish a program to develop HALEU, and restricted imports of Russian uranium for the next 20 years, emphasizing the need to develop a domestic supply.
The path ahead: Using any domestic supply will require developing transportation infrastructure, and the Energy Act of 2020 will need to be fully implemented and funded.
3. Key step for landmark energy R&D bill
The “DOE Science for the Future Act” passed the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee this week — offering a path to scale up U.S. innovation through basic science funding.
What’s clear: This bill is essential to America’s edge in next-gen energy tech, deepening key investments in basic, early-stage research through real-world test cases.
Here’s Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK), the ranking committee member:
“If we want to stay ahead of the curve and outcompete adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party, we must redouble our commitment to federal R&D.”
4. Emerging clean energy technologies get financial boost
Advanced geothermal and direct air capture (DAC) both got big DOE investments this week:
Up to $14.5 million from a new funding opportunity to accelerate the near-term deployment of enhanced geothermal energy.
What’s clear: Climate change demands a portfolio approach — we need both more clean energy sources, like zero-emissions geothermal, and tools like DAC that actually take carbon out of the atmosphere.
5. ICYMI
The steel industry’s path to net-zero won’t be easy, Bloomberg found in a deep dive into one of clean tech’s dirtiest building blocks.
The first fusionpower plant in the UK will be built by Canadian startup General Fusion Inc., marking a milestone for clean energy innovation.
