Senate Environment and Public Works: Advanced Nuclear Technology: Protecting U.S. Leadership and Expanding Opportunities for Licensing New Nuclear Energy Technologies
Earlier this week testimonies were heard from top officials at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, TerraPower as well as Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. Testimonies highlighted the need for nuclear power as a compliment to other renewable sources. Maintaining existing reactors allows time for greater quantities of renewables, energy efficiency, energy storage, advanced nuclear and fossil fuel-fired electricity using carbon capture and storage to develop and deploy. Ensuring the existing nuclear fleet remains in place for as long as practical helps support a low-carbon future. A recent report issued by the Atlantic Council, where ClearPath was a member of the task force, found that
the U.S. civilian nuclear power industry is a strategic asset of vital importance to U.S. national security.
Relatedly, TerraPower’s testimony highlighted the role of NELA in advancing the conversation:
“TerraPower believes one of the most important tools in that discussion is S. 903, the recently introduced Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (NELA). This legislation presents a vision and execution strategy with specific targets and milestones to advance the nuclear industry, including, advanced reactor research goals, a fast neutron test facility along with high-assay, low-enriched uranium for research and the demonstration of several advanced nuclear reactors. We appreciate that a number of members of this committee have joined as cosponsors of this important bill and we hope Congress will move to pass NELA expeditiously. However, even without NELA, the federal government can move to
develop and fund more coordinated and expedient demonstration activities for those companies ready to graduate from the R&D phase. “
Related Read:
New report by the IEA highlights need for Nuclear and other Baseload Sources of Energy
IEA is recommending designing electricity markets in ways that reward reliable baseload sources of power as opposed to variable renewables. The report calls to “design the electricity market in a way that properly values the system services needed to maintain electricity security, including capacity availability and frequency control services.” However, “there are major challenges in building new power plants, on top of that getting lifetime extensions of existing [nuclear] plants,” Birol said. “We think this situation may well have serious implications for our fight against climate change and at the same time electricity security for the countries around the world.” To further clean the world’s grid, IEA proposes introducing new market incentives and explicit government support for carbon-free baseload sources of power such as nuclear energy. Read the full report here
Former ClearPath Program Director Spencer Nelson takes position on the Hill
ClearPath is thrilled to announce that Spencer Nelson has accepted a position at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee led by Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). “He really played pretty broadly across the clean energy innovation space,” said Rich Powell, executive director, “It’s a loss for ClearPath, but we’re really happy to see him take his next step.” Nelson is replacing nuclear engineer Ben Reinke, who last month became a senior adviser at the Energy Department. Senator Murkowski, in a press release Thursday, said “I am very pleased to have Spencer join our team, as he brings a wealth of knowledge on important issues and will be a great asset as we focus on the
modernization of our energy policies.” Spencer joins the committee as a professional staff member focusing on energy innovation, including nuclear energy.
In the hearing room this week:
Senate Energy and Natural Resources: Full Committee Hearing to Examine Expanded Deployment of Grid-Scale Energy Storage
Thehearingfocused on potential opportunities for expanded deployment of grid-scale energy storage in the United States. A breadth of individuals testified, illustrating the growth of current storage technologies, while highlighting the need for new technologies to address long-duration and seasonal storage concerns. The Better Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Act, introduced by Senators Collins (R-ME) and Heinrich (D-NM) and Representatives Foster (D-IL) and Herrera Beutler (R-WA), was one of the policy solutions discussed. TheBEST Actwould catalyze RD&D towards ambitious goals to facilitate the commercialization of cutting-edge interday, intraday, and seasonal storage technologies. The panel included individuals from Argonne National Lab, Brookfield Renewable, Xcel Energy, Fluence, and PJM Interconnection.
Utah Aims to Shatter Records With 1,000MW Energy Storage Facility
The one-of-a-kind facility would combine compressed air storage in salt caverns with renewable hydrogen storage, large flow batteries and solid-oxide fuel cells. The Advanced Clean Energy Storage project, announced Thursday, would install 1,000 megawatts of energy storage capacity, with the potential to address long duration and seasonal storage concerns. Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) will supply the power equipment, while partner Magnum Development brings control of a salt cavern formation conveniently located near the Western US transmission grid, to seamlessly connect near the Intermountain Power Project in Central Utah.Read more here
Related Read:
ClearPath Policy Analyst Faith Smith outlines the Basics of Energy Storage
Energy storage can help the grid in so many ways – it allows us to save electricity for a more appropriate time or can be used in multiple applications to assist in balancing and maintaining the grid. While energy storage can be complicated, this paper is meant to break it into digestible pieces. The electricity grid is the centerpiece of the puzzle. The grid can be broken into three parts: generation, transmission, and distribution. In order to meet demand, utilities must be prepared to distribute electricity instantaneously, through a constant balance of supply and demand. The grid receives its electric current from electricity generation and in some cases from stored electricity through energy storage. In the simplest terms, energy generation controls time, from when and how we use it.
Energy storage applications can fall into all portions of the grid and can be helpful as a way to improve the overall energy grid. Read more here
Nuclear Innovation Alliance (NIA) Study Highlights the need for DOE Coordination with Private Industry
Two weeks ago, the Nuclear Innovation Alliance (NIA) shared a compelling report, “In Search of a SpaceX for Nuclear Energy.” It highlights policy proposals that are critical to unlocking the innovation needed to deploy advance reactors around the globe. Many of these recommendations are encompassed in legislation currently pending in Congress. S. 903, the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (NELA), by Sen. Murkowski, H.R. 5260 from last Congress by Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) that will soon be reintroduced, as well as
components from the FY19 Energy and Water Appropriations bill.
Included is the recommendation that the Department of Energy should set goals in coordination with the private industry for development of advanced reactors. One model to learn from could be the NASA COTS program. NASA hired a venture capitalist as part of it COTS program and asked companies to proposed development milestones and associated payments for meeting them. This gave the companies greater flexibility to map their path to success and also allowed both NASA and its private partners to focus their energies on outcomes rather than paperwork. The DOE should try to find ways to adapt this model to set a payment-for-milestones approach in its public-private partnerships with advanced reactor companies.
As the chart in the report outlines, China and Russia have taken the lead in exported reactors under construction. We must focus public-private research initiative driven from the highest levels of the DOE that will help the U.S. regain its global leadership in nuclear energy security, open up entirely new markets for domestic nuclear generation, retake a key strategic advantage from China and Russia, and put thousands of American engineers, manufacturers, and tradesmen to work.
DOE Releases New Study Highlighting the Untapped Potential of Geothermal Energy in the United States
Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy released a long-awaited analysis on baseload clean geothermal energy, detailing how American capaciiy could increase more than 26-fold from today—reaching 60 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity by 2050. The GeoVision analysis — GeoVision: Harnessing the Heat Beneath Our Feet, — is the result of a multiyear collaboration among industry, academia, the National Laboratories, and federal agencies to evaluate the potential for different geothermal resources. In addition to electricity sector opportunities, the project evaluates how geothermal can enhance heating and cooling solutions for American residential and commercial consumers through direct-use and heat-pump technologies. Click here to read more
Related Read:
Regulatory Reform Could Unlock Gigawatts of Zero-Emission Geothermal
Geothermal energy is a highly promising and reliable zero-emission technology. Besides critical investments in R&D, the biggest hindrances to geothermal development are permitting and other regulatory barriers that are more stringent than for oil and gas. Moving towards centralized permitting and more pragmatic environmental reviews could lead to a 500% increase in geothermal capacity using existing technology and up to 100 gigawatts (GW) (an increase of 3700%) with new enhanced geothermal technology. Click here to read more about Geothermal
RICH’S TAKE
“There are many hidden gems being researched at the Department of Energy that may not currently get as much attention but could prove to be just as critical in expanding a reliable and clean power sector, enhanced geothermal being one.” Read more about this and other promising technologies
THE PATH AHEAD
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has a FERC Hearing next week.
WHAT’S RICH TWEETING?
ClearPath co-hosted and participated in a series of events at this year’s 10th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM10) and 4th annual Mission Innovation (MI-4) in Vancouver. Among topics covered, the importance of dispatchable clean energy and flexible nuclear energy systems. Click here to see what else Rich is tweeting
Former ClearPath Program Director Spencer Nelson takes position on the Hill
