Nebraska's Agricultural Innovation: Biochar, Precision Management & Biochemicals

American farmers have a long history of using innovation to solve problems at hand. In 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. In 1837, John Deere invented the steel plow. In the 1940s, Norman Borlaug figured out how to increase crop yields. In 1989, satellites were used for precision agriculture.

While American agriculture was once defined by breakthrough innovations, over the past 20 years, public investment in U.S. agricultural R&D has declined by over 30%. During that same period, China’s investments in agricultural R&D surged, spending double that of the U.S. by 2015. Brazil and India have also ramped up efforts, with Brazil spending nearly double the U.S.’ share of agricultural GDP on R&D.

Public Agricultural Research and Development Investments: U.S. and other countries

It is time for America to reclaim its mantle of innovation in agriculture. Regions like the Midwest are growing hubs for agricultural innovation, and farmers are employing high-tech equipment and techniques to increase yields, reduce inputs, and reduce emissions.

In June, ClearPath visited a series of cutting-edge sites in Nebraska, spanning ag-tech, commercial biochemical manufacturing, and interdisciplinary research, that are enhancing rural prosperity. From on-farm automated crop sensors to biochemical start-ups, these facilities represent America’s leadership in agricultural innovation.

Members of the ClearPath, American Conservation Coalition (ACC), and Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions (C3 Solutions) teams at Siouxland Ethanol, where Bluestem’s Project Heartland will be located.

Federally Supported Agricultural R&D Paves the Way for Innovation

Across the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) campus, researchers are building agricultural tools and perfecting practices, with farmers' needs at the forefront and an eye towards commercialization.

The Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center (ENREEC) is an integral hub of research and innovation. It covers 9,500 acres and meets the needs of Nebraska’s rural sector through research and Nebraska Extension. We visited and learned about:

NFarms, a UNL initiative that collaborates closely with industry groups, like John Deere, to convert research into practical tools for farmers and ranchers, expand precision-ag capabilities and achieve data standardization. For instance, NFarms has worked with start-up Sentinel Fertigation to use satellite imagery to provide real-time nitrogen management to farmers throughout the growing season. The technology has been shown to boost nitrogen use efficiency by approximately 25%, and would have resulted in nearly $30 in savings per acre with 2022 corn and fertilizer prices.
A Precision Nitrogen Management project was launched in 2020 through a $1.2 million USDA On-Farm Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG), which encouraged corn and wheat farmers to test nitrogen management strategies to reduce nitrate runoff and potentially also reduce nitrous oxide emissions.
The SpiderCam, an automated cable-suspended carrier system that holds up to five cameras and sensors that provide precise plant imaging, helping researchers track plant growth and health more accurately than drones.

We also visited two prominent research labs at UNL that showcase the value of innovation and farmer engagement in addressing agricultural challenges:

Dr. James Schnable integrates new technologies and capabilities from engineering, computer science, and statistics into maize and sorghum research. He has founded three startups: Data2Bio (focused on genotyping and breeding decision support), Dryland Genetics (breeding naturally water-use-efficient crops), and EnGeniousAg (low-cost nondestructive nutrient and water sensors for farmers). The last of these three companies, which spun out of an ARPA-E-supported project, was recently acquired by CropX, a leader in digital agronomic solutions.
Dr. Michael Kaiser leads the largest biochar research experiment in Nebraska and is among the largest in the U.S., covering 16 acres in total. He is currently working with fellow UNL professor Dr. Guillermo Balboa and the American Farmland Trust on a CIG On-Farm Trails Soil Health Demonstration Trial, working with local farmers across 4 sites to study the impact of using biochar on corn yield and nitrous oxide emissions reduction.

Continued federal support can complement these on-the-ground efforts in Nebraska and across the U.S. Examples of past legislation introduced in Congress that could support agricultural R&D include:

The Advancing Cutting-Edge (ACE) Agriculture Act of 2023, which reauthorizes the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA) to support high-risk, high-reward agricultural research.
The Biochar Research Network Act of 2023, which establishes a collaborative network of research facilities to enhance understanding of biochar production and utilization under various environments and conditions.

Pioneering Bio-Based Chemical Manufacturing in Nebraska

Across Nebraska, a cluster of companies is reimagining the future of industrial production through bio-based technologies that reduce emissions, strengthen rural economies, and scale clean energy solutions.

Bluestem’s Project Heartland in Jackson is a first-of-its-kind biomanufacturing plant project. Co-located with the Siouxland Ethanol plant, Project Heartland is converting corn-based ethanol into renewable industrial chemicals using anaerobic fermentation.
Novonesis operates one of the world’s largest enzyme and microbial production facilities. Using bio feedstocks, the plant develops biosolutions for food, agriculture, and bioenergy applications. The site exemplifies how industrial-scale innovation can integrate with Nebraska’s agricultural and transportation backbone to create a scalable model for low-carbon manufacturing.
Corbion ferments agricultural inputs to produce lactic acid and its derivatives, used in food preservation, bioplastics, and specialty chemicals. The facility is part of a broader bioprocessing cluster and actively supports soil health initiatives, showing how bio-based production can benefit both industry and the environment.

ClearPath, ACC, and C3 Solutions at Novonesis.

Projects like these have an opportunity to cement America’s energy and agricultural dominance in the coming decades. The recently introduced bipartisan Agricultural Biorefinery Innovation and Opportunity (Ag BIO) Act of 2025 aims to foster precisely these pioneering efforts, providing critical federal support for innovations taking root.

The Road Ahead

Nebraska is redefining what it means to lead in innovative agriculture. These facilities are demonstrating that cutting-edge technologies can be deployed today, through both start-up and commercial scales.

Whether deploying precision nutrient management tools, turning corn into biochemicals, or growing new markets for bio-based materials, Nebraska’s ecosystem blends scientific expertise with practical applications on the ground. And in doing so, it’s charting a clear path for how rural economies can thrive with more agricultural innovation.

Modernizing the World Bank is a Key Step Toward Energy Dominance

Global demand for reliable, affordable and clean energy is, as Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said, fundamentally about opportunity. The U.S. needs sufficient power to drive new AI demand and power our digital economy. In Poland, it’s about securing energy independence from Russia. In African countries, where 600 million people live without electricity, it's about fighting extreme poverty. The Trump Administration has strong ambitions to accelerate U.S. energy dominance, support energy security in our allies, and use energy to drive economic growth and prosperity in developing countries.

Yet, as the world works to deploy new energy infrastructure, the World Bank, one of the largest sources of infrastructure finance, is running on an outdated energy policy. Between a total ban on supporting nuclear energy and a broad reticence to support natural gas infrastructure, the World Bank should take a hard look at how its policies align with global trends. Luckily, after pressure from its largest shareholder (the United States), World Bank President Ajay Banga promised a revamp of the Bank’s energy policy.

This isn’t just about clean energy or development, but a U.S. strategic imperative. Despite its $40 billion energy and extractives portfolio, the Bank lacks any engagement on nuclear energy, leaving a vacuum filled by competitors like Russia and China, whose exploitative financing creates long-term dependencies. For example, in 2023, an Egyptian presidential advisor told a group of U.S. lawmakers and a ClearPath delegation that countries like hers want dependable energy financing and would welcome American or allied investment. Instead, Egypt, a Major Non-NATO Ally of the U.S., selected Russia’s Rosatom to finance and construct its new nuclear plant, because there wasn’t another option.

This is a major market opportunity for the U.S. The American nuclear industry supports 250,000 jobs, and a recent Trump administration Executive Order set a goal of quadrupling U.S. nuclear capacity by 2050. The International Energy Agency projects that global investment in the nuclear sector could grow to over $100 billion annually by 2030. Capturing part of this market would align with the four executive orders aimed at reinvigorating the U.S. nuclear industry, and getting the World Bank engaged on nuclear energy would help enable this goal by providing more financing options to meet the growing demand around the world for new nuclear.

The first step for the World Bank could be a dedicated Nuclear Energy Trust Fund, a concept supported by bipartisan, bicameral legislation currently working its way through Congress. Such a trust fund would involve low total dollar amounts while helping the World Bank begin to build technological and analytical capacity on the burgeoning nuclear industry to advise its member countries better.

Regardless of whether or not the World Bank makes a policy change, the U.S. must be prepared to capitalize on this global market. This means strengthening America’s financing entities, such as the Export–Import Bank of the United States and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, which can promote U.S. exports. It also means ensuring that Department of Energy-supported demonstration programs are completed and that private industry can begin scaling up economically viable advanced reactors.

U.S. LNG Exports Are the Blueprint for Global Energy Leadership

A renewed era of United States global energy leadership has arrived, and it is powered by liquified natural gas (LNG) today and can be quickly joined by a host of other clean energy technologies. The Trump administration has taken action in its first 100 days to demonstrate that LNG is once again a top energy priority, including recent executive orders and new approvals issued by the Department of Energy (DOE) to strengthen America’s ability to meet rising global demand, create new jobs, and project energy security abroad. As ClearPath has previewed before, where American gas goes, other clean energy technologies can follow.

In February 2025, the Trump administration approved the first new LNG export license–reversing the Biden administration’s politically motivated pause–granting authorization for the Commonwealth LNG project in Louisiana. This facility aims to export 9.5 million metric tons annually, targeting growing markets in Asia and Europe.

The push from the Administration is already accelerating private sector activity. The DOE extended export authorization for Golden Pass LNG, which is expected to begin shipments this year. Companies like Cheniere and Venture Global are rapidly scaling up export infrastructure across the Gulf Coast, including infusions of new capital investment to accelerate new projects. These projects demonstrate that the Administration’s approach to unleashing American energy is effective in delivering cleaner, reliable energy to global markets.

The Trump administration’s focus on cutting regulatory red tape, streamlining DOE export approvals, and unleashing private investment is setting the stage for even broader energy leadership. The Department of Energy’s work to accelerate LNG infrastructure dovetails with investments in critical minerals, advanced nuclear technology, next-generation geothermal, and carbon capture, creating an all-of-the-above energy advantage for the United States.

North America Liquefied Natural Gas Export Capacity By Projects (2026-2028)

These innovative energy technologies are well-positioned to follow the blueprint pioneered by LNG. Federal support for early-stage research combined with private-sector commercialization is rapidly advancing innovative technologies. These investments, supported by programs authorized by the Energy Act of 2020 and signed into law by President Trump funding from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and reinforced by President Trump’s latest executive orders, are building an energy future anchored in American innovation.

LNG growth offers the opportunity to reassert America’s global leadership over foreign adversaries, and drive down global emissions as one of the most carbon efficient economies in the world. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), American LNG exports are projected to increase by 19% to 14.2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2025 and climb further to 16.4 Bcf/d in 2026—continuing a growth trajectory that began in earnest less than a decade ago and cementing the U.S. as the world’s top LNG exporter.

Today, American LNG exports span 39 countries and counting. Long-term supply contracts are locking in demand well into the 2030s, providing partners worldwide with price stability and energy security. The U.S. is not just exporting molecules—it is exporting resilience, innovation, and a vision for cleaner growth.

Annual U.S. Liquified Natural Gas Exports By Destination (2022-2024)

To sustain this momentum, and broaden it to include other innovative clean technologies, the United States should fully leverage the tools of its export and development finance arsenal. The Export-Import Bank (EXIM) can play a vital role in deploying American LNG and clean energy technologies abroad by offering financing, insurance and loan guarantees for infrastructure projects. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) can similarly support these efforts through its diverse financial tools, fostering meaningful global energy partnerships. By providing robust support, these agencies can help U.S. companies effectively compete and secure long-term contracts in strategic energy markets like LNG.

EXIM and DFC can be instrumental in financing emerging innovations such as technologies alongside LNG, bundling projects that pair gas infrastructure with carbon capture, hydrogen, or advanced nuclear. For instance, EXIM financed nearly $3 billion for a project exporting LNG to Australia, which enhanced Australia’s energy security and supported 11,000 American jobs. This project highlights EXIM’s ability to finance large-scale LNG projects while producing a meaningful impact on U.S. employment. Similarly, DFC has played a key role in America’s energy leadership in helping Europe diversify from Russian gas and is actively investing in critical minerals projects in Brazil, as well as submitting letters of interest to support nuclear projects in multiple countries. This not only enhances U.S. economic competitiveness but embeds American values of transparency, market openness and environmental stewardship into the energy systems of tomorrow. As demand rises in Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe, EXIM and DFC can ensure that American energy powers global development. Both agencies are due for reauthorization this Congress, offering significant opportunity to supercharge America’s international financing tools to achieve energy dominance in line with President Trump’s broader vision.

With targeted engagement, the U.S. can lead the world in both energy security and emissions reduction. Doing so will require the Trump administration to leverage all of the tools in its toolbox, including domestic energy incentives to boost production, and well-leveraged international authorities to promote American technology adoption abroad.

Energy Incentives Will Unlock Energy Dominance (The Washington Times)

This op-ed was originally published by The Washington Times on April 28, 2025. Click here to read the entire piece.

The first 100 days of the new Trump administration have reshaped the energy landscape. Reliable, affordable energy is a top priority as the president seeks to unleash a new era of American energy dominance. Lower energy prices can usher in a true golden age for U.S. consumers. Done well, this agenda can also reduce global carbon dioxide emissions.

This dynamic is underscored by the president’s work to recruit new artificial intelligence and data center investments to the U.S. These investments can lead to economic development and will require rapid energy demand growth when paired with an American manufacturing resurgence, increasing U.S. energy demand by as much as 18% over the next decade, according to data from the North American Electric Reliability Council. Energy prices are one of the most important cost drivers in these energy-intensive industries.

A rapid increase in supply is required to maintain affordable costs for all American consumers. The U.S. must rapidly deploy all types of new American power. To effectively deploy these new technologies at speed, the administration will need to break down permitting barriers to accelerate the buildout of new energy infrastructure like pipelines, transmission, and other grid-enhancing technologies.

In addition to streamlining the permitting process to increase and maximize new investments, minimizing the tax burden on developers is another essential part of this equation. Maintaining low corporate rates is certainly going to help, but tax incentives also play an enormous role in minimizing investment risk and keeping prices low. Fortunately, some key incentives will not require drastic policy changes like the green new deal or a heavy-handed government regulation.

Existing incentives authored or supported by Republicans in Congress under current law are critical for American leadership in new, affordable, 24/7 American power. These forms of power include advanced nuclear, geothermal, hydropower, natural gas with carbon capture, and even new breakthroughs in fusion technology. Key incentives, like 48E/45Y technology-neutral electricity credit; the 45X advanced manufacturing credit; the 45Q carbon capture, utilization, and storage credit; and the 45V hydrogen credit, can reduce the costs for American producers and support the manufacturers and the mineral supply chain across the economy. Simply put, consumer prices go up if the U.S. doesn’t lower the tax and energy cost burden for American producers and manufacturers.

Click here to read the full article

Power Demand Explained: Watts, Gigawatts and the Future of Energy

These days, we hear a lot about the rapid increase in global energy demand due to various factors like growing economies, widespread electrification, and the rise of data centers as AI expands. And it’s true. Here in the United States, after 15 years of static growth, our electricity demand is rising at an accelerated rate. Researchers estimate that by 2030, we will need 20% more energy - a total of 5 million gigawatt-hours of electricity each year.

“5 million gigawatt-hours.” That sounds like a lot. But what does that really mean?

Let’s start with the basics. A watt is a measure of power in an instant. For example, the 60-watt light bulb in your lamp at home requires 60 watts of power to turn on. A Watt-hour is a measurement of that power usage over time.

So, let’s say you turn on your lamp to read a book for two hours, you use 120 watt-hours of electricity. Easy enough.

Now, let’s take a look at a few other examples, going in order from smallest to largest. But first a reminder about unit prefixes: there are one thousand watts in a kilowatt, one million in a megawatt, and one billion in a gigawatt.

While you’re reading your book, your lamp might only use 120-watt hours of electricity, but the average American household will use 2.4 kilowatt-hours during that time. That’s your lamp, the AC, the TV playing, and so on. Scaling up - with 150 megawatt-hours - you could power 42,000 American households for three hours while they watch a Sunday afternoon football game… or you could use your 150 megawatt-hours to power the NFL stadium itself. In the same amount of time, a large city like Washington D.C. would consume 25 times that much electricity, almost 4 gigawatt hours.

Currently, the U.S. needs around 4 million of these gigawatt-hours a year - again that’s 4 million billion watt-hours - or 4 with 15 zeros after it - and those needs are met with a mixture of 60% fossil fuels, 30% renewables, and 10% nuclear energy. And to get us 20 percent more energy - up to 5 million gigawatt hours a year - we would need the equivalent of 1,500 Hoover dams in additional generation. That means we are going to need a lot more of ALL of these energy sources to keep up with expected demand.

And, we don’t just need more energy, we need energy that is affordable, reliable and clean. In other words, we need to take a pragmatic, all of the above approach to U.S. energy development. To keep the lights on - at a price that consumers can afford, we need more baseload energy – the 24/7/ 300 and 65 days a year electricity sources that provide clean power. That means things like advanced nuclear, geothermal, and natural gas with carbon capture.

Ultimately, in order to generate and move all this energy around, we are going to need more than 15,000 new energy projects in this decade alone, and every single one of those projects starts with a permit. Unfortunately today in the United States, you can get a college degree faster than you can get a permit to build a clean energy project. That is why we all must work together to streamline federal permitting processes and unleash American energy.

ClearPath’s answer to the power demand challenge? It’s time to Let America Build.

An Innovation Agenda for the Department of Energy (American Affairs)

This op-ed was originally published by American Affairs on August 19, 2024. Click here to read the entire piece.

The world is about to need more energy. A lot more. The combination of providing basic energy services to emerging markets and powering a new generation of data centers and manufacturing activity means the era of flat energy demand is over. Grid operators all across the United States are grappling with a rapid uptick in load growth projections and scrambling to build the energy infrastructure necessary to meet those forecasts.

As the world enters this new phase of energy growth, one thing is certain: the United States must lead the world and pioneer the technologies to make it possible. America is blessed with a world-class energy innovation engine led by the Department of Energy and the seventeen National Labs that have launched countless new technologies into the market. The Department of Energy (DOE, the Department) is the world’s largest funder of research for physical sciences and applied energy research, development, and demonstrations (RD&D). It is the sole federal entity with the capacity to advance innovative clean energy technologies in coordination with the private sector. These public-private partnerships are critical to commercializing breakthrough technologies domestically and ultimately exporting them to key partners around the globe.

Congress has recently enacted legislation to reinvigorate these efforts, providing billions of dollars in new funding to support innovative energy demonstration projects and the commercialization of new technologies. The conditions are right for America to meet this challenge, but the next presidential administration must agree to prioritize energy deployment first and foremost.

Click here to read the full article

CO2 Pipelines Are Safe…and We Need a Lot More

You’ve probably heard about a clean energy technology called Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage – or “CCUS” for short.

This is a method of capturing carbon dioxide or “CO₂” from emissions sources like power plants and industrial facilities. Another method for reducing emissions is called Direct Air Capture, which removes CO₂ that is already in our atmosphere — think a giant vacuum. If we’re serious about global emissions reduction — we need both.

In addition to driving down emissions, captured CO₂ is also a valuable commodity. CO₂ is not only used to make your beer fizz, carbon oxides can be used for everyday products like building materials, fertilizer, and fuels. CO₂ that is not in use can be permanently and safely stored - usually underground - where it resides for thousands of years.

Often, when CO₂ is captured, it’s not located near an available storage or use site and has to be transported to another location. Today, the best and safest way to move CO₂ is through pipelines.

Pipelines are everywhere - often without us even realizing it. They are beneath our highways, run through our cities, and connect our homes. Other essential resources, like natural gas, water, and waste, are all moved by pipelines. That’s because pipelines are the most land-efficient way to transport materials while minimizing environmental impact.

The Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, also known as “PHMSA”, has long regulated the security of this infrastructure. PHMSA provides national standards for pipeline design, construction, maintenance and operation. These ensure that all necessary measures are taken to mitigate risks and safeguard the well-being of your family and the environment.

Now let’s talk about CO₂ pipelines. The U.S. currently has more than 5,000 miles of these pipelines, which have been safely operating across our country for over 50 years. CO₂ is a stable, non flammable gas - we know it’s safe. We breathe it in and out every day - it’s even used in fire extinguishers. Over the last twenty years, there have been zero recorded fatalities associated with the very few CO₂ pipeline incidents that have occurred. A pipeline accident, like we saw in 2020 in Satartia, Mississippi, while concerning, is extremely uncommon and is not representative of the safety performance of this critical infrastructure over the last several decades.

As demand for clean, reliable, and affordable energy grows, so will the demand for effective carbon management technologies. That means, to meet our energy security and global emission reduction goals, the build-out of CO₂ pipeline infrastructure is vital. An estimated 30,000 - 96,000 miles of CO₂ pipelines will be needed by 2050 – that’s roughly 5 to 18 times the length of our existing network.

We get it, some people are uneasy about new infrastructure. But let’s face it, whether you care about climate change or U.S. competitiveness- we need these technologies. By building CO₂ pipeline infrastructure, we are not only building our capacity to reduce emissions and protect our environment, we’re also creating jobs, bolstering local economies, and continuing to use the energy sources that make our country strong. In America, we’re not afraid to build — it’s what we do.

And, through R&D and innovation, we’ll leverage the efficiency and maintain the strong safety record of this vital American infrastructure.

Let America build - A policy path to modernize energy permitting

Our team spends a lot of time on reliable, affordable, clean energy systems that run 24/7. These types of technologies are an integral part of our energy future, but with a growing economy and electricity demand doubling, we need MORE power.

This means building a lot of new nuclear, geothermal, and clean fossil power plants. We’ll also need immense new transmission and pipeline infrastructure to move energy around the country.

But we’ve got a ton of work to do in very little time.

Whether you are motivated by deep emissions reductions, furthering our nation’s energy security, or enabling the next generation of American manufacturing, the coming decades are essential. By many estimates, that means at least 10,000 new clean energy projects this decade alone. And, every one of those projects will require new permits to build.

Unfortunately, the U.S. has a world-class apparatus… for getting in the way.

Let me give you an example. The National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, calls for developers to measure the environmental impact of their projects. But NEPA was passed years before we had other laws with strict environmental standards like the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, or Endangered Species Act.

Each of those are important — but all together … permit reviews can spiral into extremely long efforts, spanning thousands of pages with duplicative analyses and dozens of bureaucrats required to sign off on each individual project. And, this is not even taking into account the time it takes for any local permitting or state regulations. While this system may have made sense 50 years ago, the surge in new energy demand requires a new way.

When we think about how to build tens of thousands of new clean energy projects, and how to balance speed and safety, it's obvious the U.S. needs a more predictable process.

At ClearPath, we always focus on solutions. Here are two that should be pretty simple:

First, grant immediate approval to projects on a site that have already undergone an environmental review.

Second, we must expedite court challenges so a final decision on projects is made in a timely manner.

Let me simplify both concepts.

Do you remember standing in line at the airport before TSA pre-check? That was brutal! Now, individuals who have proven they are not a risk can move through an expedited line.

Here’s another example.

There are mountains of evidence that some projects have little to no environmental impacts, such as an advanced manufacturing facility that produces parts for clean energy on a brownfield, or converting a retired coal plant to an advanced nuclear facility or siting a new geothermal plant at a depleted oil and gas well. These are the types of projects we should automatically permit to move forward.

Just like random screenings at TSA, we can audit the operators to ensure they’re complying with all environmental laws as we go. So new energy accelerates at no new environmental costs.

And for those projects that do need permits up front, we should ensure reviews are complete within 1 year and resolve any legal disputes within 6 months.

Under the current system, clean energy projects can suffer long delays, sometimes decades, largely because of obstructive litigation practices. We must strike the right balance while halting the never-ending cycle of frivolous lawsuits.

At ClearPath, we believe all of this can be done without rolling back environmental protections or eliminating the public’s opportunity to be involved in the review process. Even with these necessary changes, a project would still be required to comply with environmental laws during its entire lifetime.*

It’s a win-win. Let’s get building.

U.S. Development Finance Helped Rescue Europe from Russian Energy (The National Interest)

This op-ed was originally published by The National Interest on June 18, 2024. Click here to read the entire piece.

America is facing a critical period of intensifying international challenges. The aggressive maneuvers of adversaries demand an increasingly robust use of U.S. foreign policy assets. Energy to sustain growing economies is at the heart of these issues. America has the opportunity to ensure its influence on the world stage as a provider of affordable, reliable, and clean energy security for decades to come. As Congress considers reauthorizing the U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC), whose authorization expires in 2025, it’s time to supercharge this agency as part of an integrated international energy security and climate strategy.

The DFC, the modernized U.S. government development finance institution ramped up during the Trump administration, with bipartisan Congressional support, is a crucial player in helping America compete in geoeconomic rivalries over the future of energy leadership. In 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, America demonstrated its capacity as a global energy powerhouse. For decades, the European Union (EU) had depended on Russian natural gas imports, which grew in share even after the invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014. In just one year, the U.S. surged its LNG exports, driving Russian market share in the EU down from 40 percent in 2021 to just 8 percent in 2023.

This lifeline to Europe was partly enabled by the DFC, which provided over $1.5 billion in financing to support Europe’s energy diversification away from Russian gas. This is just one example of how the DFC has become a key federal agency in supporting America’s geopolitical and geoeconomic interests.

Energy projects supported by the DFC cut across various sectors, ranging from diversifying natural gas supplies in Poland to developing an energy supply hub in Greek shipyards to fostering clean energy generation in Bulgaria and Georgia. This provides allies and partners with U.S. alternatives to malignant energy producers like Russia and the predatory lending for energy infrastructure performed by actors like China. Furthermore, unlike most federal agencies, the DFC typically generates a financial return for taxpayer dollars. In FY 2023, the DFC returned a net positive income of $340 million to the U.S. Treasury from projects it invested in abroad.

Click here to read the full article

The U.S. needs Natural Gas, Here’s a Playbook to Reduce Emissions

In spring 2024, the National Petroleum Council (NPC), a federal advisory council to the United States Department of Energy (DOE), approved the study, “Charting the Course: Reducing GHG Emissions in the U.S. Natural Gas Value Chain.” The study looks at ways to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions across the U.S. natural gas supply chain (NGSC). This study is the result of a two-year effort by 200+ individuals, including representatives from the oil and gas industry, academia, finance, nonprofits, including ClearPath, Native American tribes and public interest organizations.

Why should we care about these emissions?

In the U.S., natural gas is an abundant resource with an estimated 100-year supply at current use rates. Natural gas delivers the 24/7 affordable power that heats our homes, secures our power grid and drives our economy. American innovation in novel drilling technologies has allowed the U.S. to become the world’s largest natural gas producer and exporter of LNG, ensuring a cleaner and more reliable domestic supply and providing energy security to our allies abroad. In 2023, we consumed 89.1 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas, the most on record and the average price was the lowest since 2020. Today, we have a roughly $117 billion annual natural gas market and methane emissions have decreased by 16% in the U.S. between 2005 and 2023.

Natural gas is primarily made up of the chemical compound methane (CH4). When natural gas enters the atmosphere via venting, flaring or leaks along the NGSC supply chain, CH4 can act as a greenhouse gas. The NPC study recommends that DOE continue to sponsor efforts to develop and deploy innovative measurement technologies and monitoring systems. These technologies and systems will be essential to understanding the magnitude of these leaks as well as allowing for rapid mitigation. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions primarily occur when natural gas is used as a fuel to power equipment to keep the natural gas moving through the NGSC. The NPC study recommends that the federal government coordinate policies and initiatives for low carbon technology demonstration and deployment within the NGSC, including the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) at LNG facilities and scaling electrified solutions. Deploying technologies that can either capture CO2 emissions or eliminate them is an important step in reducing this GHG emissions from the NGSC.

Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass LNG Facility, Cameron Parish, Louisiana

Finding ways to reduce these emissions without compromising U.S. oil and gas production will help maintain U.S. leadership in this critical clean energy asset for decades to come, reducing GHG emissions at home as well as abroad.

What did the NPC find?

The study found that meaningfully reducing NGSC emissions is an important challenge that will require long-term and close collaboration among U.S. industry, government and researchers to develop a variety of supportive federal and state policies that encourage public-private, technology-based partnerships.

The study provides analyses of historical and current CO2 and CH4 emissions from the NGSC. A few highlights from these analyses include:

Over the last 30 years, CH4 emissions have decreased by 20% primarily due to decreases in emissions from distribution, transmission, and storage segments of the NGSC;
The production segment of the NGSC is its largest source of CH4 emissions and these have increased by 16% over the last 30 years; and,
The largest source of NGSC CO2 emissions is from fuel use, primarily gas turbines, to power compressor stations that pressurize or refrigerate the natural gas.

The study designed three scenarios to evaluate options for the potential future reduction of NGSC emissions through 2050:

Existing Policies: If existing and proposed federal methane regulations are maintained, CH4 emissions are reduced by 59% while CO2 emissions are increased by 25%;
Continued Reductions: If existing and proposed regulations are maintained and improvements from voluntary efforts and technologies are added, CH4 emissions are reduced by 66% and CO2 emissions are increased slightly (2%); and,
Technology, Innovation and Policy: If significant changes in policy, technology development and market mechanisms are made, CH4 emissions are reduced by 70% and CO2 emissions are reduced by 33%.

The study identified five actions that are required to significantly reduce NGSC emissions by 2050:

Improve measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification of emissions tools and technologies, including efforts to harmonize emissions data and tools.
Increase the capability of oil & gas operators to reduce emissions through adoption of common standards/tools and sharing best practices.
Maximize effectiveness of current and proposed regulations and demonstrate and deploy technologies to meet regulatory requirements.
Develop new and expand existing incentives for emissions reductions, including market mechanisms, voluntary standards and technology investment.
Maximize effectiveness of community benefits and develop and disseminate best practices.

Gas Production Wells

Why is this study important?

Natural gas has already played a massive role reducing CO2 emissions from the power sector in the United States. The Energy Information Administration estimates that the deployment of natural gas is responsible for nearly two-thirds of domestic emissions reductions between 2005 and 2019. Despite this important progress, the NGSC still creates greenhouse gas emissions that must be reduced to meet reduction goals. The NPC study contains numerous consensus-based and actionable recommendations for DOE, other federal and state agencies and industry-related organizations to consider to meet this challenge.

We know that the U.S. not only leads the way in natural gas exports, we also lead in natural gas innovation - producing the cleanest natural gas in the world. Following this study’s recommendations like deploying innovative monitoring technologies, harmonizing emissions reporting, and developing supportive regulations and market incentives will give credibility to our claim that the U.S. is the world leader in reducing GHG emissions from the NGSC.