The Rundown: ClearPath announces newest team members
ClearPath Action Rundown April 19th, 2024
Happy Friday!
1. ClearPath welcomes fmr. Legislative Director for Rep. Bill Johnson
Sam Hattrup will be an educational resource for Members of Congress and staff in the House of Representatives and will advance innovative policies that reduce emissions while bringing down energy costs to create sustainable, well-paying American jobs.
Before joining ClearPath, Hattrup served as Rep. Bill Johnson’s (R-OH) policy lead on both the E&C Environment and Energy Subcommittees, working on a wide array of issues, including:
Critical minerals,
American nuclear competitiveness and;
LNG exports and electric reliability.
Welcome, Sam!
2. …and new CCUS Policy Advisor
Kelsey Grant will lead ClearPath’s CCUS portfolio to support the development and deployment of critical carbon management infrastructure and technologies.
Before joining ClearPath, she was a Project Manager for Adamantine Energy, where she worked to create and implement pragmatic decarbonization and risk mitigation strategies for:
Oil and gas companies
Utility companies
Low-carbon energy developers
Welcome, Kelsey!
3. Bureau of Land Management adopts categorical exclusions, expedites geothermal permitting
This week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced it is adopting two existing categorical exclusions from the United States Forest Service and the Department of the Navy to expedite certain geothermal energy activities on federal lands.
This marks the first step toward more permitting certainty for geothermal and builds on
The Fiscal Responsibility Act, championed by House Republicans.
What’s clear: There has been bipartisan support to codify this move. The House Committee on Natural Resources has passed multiple geothermal permitting bills, including a bipartisan proposal sponsored by Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) & Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV), along with additional bills from Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-ID), Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) and Rep. John Curtis (R-UT).
Plug in: To learn more about the significance of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, read more here.
4. Spreading the word on DOE Modernization
As the world’s largest funder of energy research, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) plays an important role in supporting private-sector efforts.
ClearPath’s Chief Strategy Officer Jeremy Harrell published an op-ed in The Washington Times detailing our new report, which offers policy recommendations and a new organizational structure to empower the next Secretary of Energy with the necessary tools to lead strategically from day one in a new Administration.
What’s clear: The report calls for DOE to protect and strengthen American Intellectual Property, accelerate promising high-impact technology and expedite permitting for DOE awardees.
5. Biden’s pause on LNG could increase global emissions
According to a study from the Berkeley Research Group, American liquified natural gas (LNG) exports to Europe are up to 53% cleaner than European coal-fired power plants and 30% cleaner than natural gas imports from Russia. The House Energy & Commerce Committee says, “According to DOE, U.S. LNG exports are also 41% cleaner than Russian natural gas delivered to Europe.”
What’s clear: The Biden Administration’s pause on American LNG hurts the U.S. energy industry and leads to higher global emissions. If Biden’s Admin pause stays in effect, the world will trend towards dirtier forms of energy, like Russian gas, to fill the void.
Plug in: To learn more about the negative effects of Biden’s pause on LNG, read this article from The Washington Examiner.
6. ClearPath talks about taking nuclear to the next level
(L-R) Niko McMurray – Managing Director of International and Nuclear Policy, Chris Colber – CEO & Chairman of Elementl Power, Leah Crider – Vice President of eVinci Microreactors Westing Electric Company, and Sana Ouji – Data Center Clean Energy Strategies, Americas Google
ClearPath’s Managing Director of International and Nuclear Policy, Niko McMurray, moderated a panel at the USNIC Advanced Reactor Summit in Houston, TX, and discussed the challenges and opportunities for deploying advanced nuclear technology in the U.S.
7. Need a crash course on hydrogen?
Hydrogen holds enormous potential to unlock some of our most significant energy challenges – electric grid resilience, energy storage and industrial decarbonization.
Did you know? Hydrogen is used widely today as a chemical in agriculture, chemical manufacturing and oil refining.
What’s clear: Hydrogen can be an innovative solution to decarbonize the power and industrial sectors while making American energy cleaner, more secure and more reliable. To meet American emissions reduction goals, further policies must support the development and deployment of the clean hydrogen sector.
Plug in: ClearPath offers a 101 series to help explain technologies — read our latest on hydrogen for energy innovation here.
8. ClearPath educates on how mCDR is making waves
(L-R) Senior Program Manager of Carbon Management Savita Bowman, Katie Lebling Associate II, Carbon Removal and Industrial Decarbonization, World Resources Institute (WRI), Edward Sanders Chief Operating Officer, Equatic, Sara Wanous Government Relations Manager, Ocean Conservancy, Gabby Kitch Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Lead, Ocean Acidification Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
ClearPath’s Senior Program Manager of Carbon Management, Savita Bowman, recently sat on a panel at a Hill briefing held by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) to discuss the current landscape of ocean CDR research.
What’s clear: Marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) can potentially complement the ocean’s natural carbon cycle and carbon storage capacity. The U.S. federal government recognizes the need for diverse CDR pathways to achieve carbon reduction commitments.
(L-R) Niko McMurray – Managing Director of International and Nuclear Policy, Chris Colber – CEO & Chairman of Elementl Power, Leah Crider – Vice President of eVinci Microreactors Westing Electric Company, and Sana Ouji – Data Center Clean Energy Strategies, Americas Google
(L-R) Senior Program Manager of Carbon Management Savita Bowman, Katie Lebling Associate II, Carbon Removal and Industrial Decarbonization, World Resources Institute (WRI), Edward Sanders Chief Operating Officer, Equatic, Sara Wanous Government Relations Manager, Ocean Conservancy, Gabby Kitch Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Lead, Ocean Acidification Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
