Welcome to your Friday Rundown for the week ending Feb. 23. Feedback is always welcome at info@clearpathaction.org. 
 

A LOOMING CRISIS IN FUELING ADVANCED REACTORS   

Lawmakers, policymakers and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must take prompt steps to ensure adequate supply of high-assay low-enriched uranium or risk continued progress in deploying the next generation of U.S. nuclear power, according to a new white paper sponsored by ClearPath and the U.S. Nuclear Infrastructure Council.

Many of the current advanced reactors under development intend to utilize HA-LEU as fuel to provide greater efficiency. This type of uranium is commercially produced in countries such as France, Russia and China, but not in the U.S.

Former NRC Commissioner Jeffrey Merrifield and Pillsbury Law Firm Senior Associate Anne Leidich lay out 10 recommendations for lawmakers, policymakers and NRC to step up to this supply challenge. That includes a “strategic reserve” of HA-LEU within five years, catalyzing early HA-LEU production via fast neutron test facilities, expediting licensing by NRC and the Department of Transportation of containers for advanced reactor fuels and NRC reviews and approvals of increased enrichments of uranium.

A USNIC March 2017 survey of 18 leading U.S-based advanced reactor developers found that 67% said an “assured supply of High Assay LEU” was either urgent or important, with 50% of the overall respondents saying it was “urgent.”

DOE RAMPS UP CARBON CAPTURE R&D     

The Department of Energy has announced roughly $62 million for carbon capture projects in recent days.

DOE Feb. 22 selected another six projects to receive $17.6 million to address cost and operational challenges with current carbon capture technologies that are commercially available for industry and providing for additional development at coal-fired power plants. DETAILS

DOE this month had also announced $6.5 million for carbon capture and other advanced fossil energy projects, including co-funding $875K with the University of North Dakota and partners to help design a pilot plant that will utilize the groundbreaking Allam Cycle zero-emission coal technology.

CLEARPATH JOINS CARBON CAPTURE COALITION 

ClearPath has joined the Carbon Capture Coalition – a collection of oil and coal companies, clean energy advocates and others pursuing development and commercialization of technologies that can capture, store and use carbon emissions from coal and gas facilities. The coalition is an expansion and reimagining of the former National Enhanced Oil Recovery Initiative.

Carbon Capture Coalition Expands & Rebrands – AXIOS
 

RICH TALKS ABOUT NUCLEAR’S MUST-HAVE FUTURE

ClearPath Executive Director Rich Powell spoke with Larry Rifkin on the America Trends podcast to discuss the opportunities and challenges of advanced nuclear power and why U.S. leadership is a must.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

SPEED READ

Arizona Republican’s conservative clean energy plan outdoes California WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The carbon-capture era may finally be starting MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW

FERC order could create 50,000 MW U.S. Energy Storage Market BRATTLE GROUP

THE PATH AHEAD