ClearPath Action Rundown
April 21, 2023
Happy Friday! And happy early Earth Day!
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1. Harrell joined House E&C at an American nuclear energy hearing
ClearPath Chief Strategy Officer, Jeremy Harrell, testified at the House E&C Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee hearing, “American Nuclear Energy Expansion: Powering a Clean and Secure Future” on Tuesday.
The highlights:
- Expanding American nuclear energy has incredible bipartisan support in Congress because it will bolster our economy, improve global energy security, and reduce global emissions.
- Lawmakers are concerned that if the U.S. doesn't invest in the domestic supply chain and promote American technologies abroad, we are simply ceding a billion dollars of economic opportunity to China and Russia and working against our own national security interests; and
- Lawmakers want to solve spent nuclear fuel management challenges and are open to new ideas, including innovative solutions like recycling, to solve the problem.
Plug in: E&C Chair Rodgers (R-WA) and Energy Subcommittee Chair Duncan (R-SC) said, “Reclaiming American leadership in nuclear energy is a key ingredient for a clean and secure energy future. We want to be sure nuclear technologies can thrive here in the United States and that U.S. technology exports can drive energy security abroad.”
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2. 20 U.S. reactors planned for Poland
The Orlen Synthos Green Energy project aims to develop around 20 BWRX-300 advanced reactors designed by GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. The U.S. Export-Import (Exlm) Bank and U.S International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) have signed letters of interest to finance around $4 billion for American nuclear energy projects in Poland.
- ExIm is planning to lend $3 billion.
- DFC is planning to lend $1 billion.
- Poland’s first BWRX-300 reactor should launch in 2029.
What’s clear: This is a BIG deal for American nuclear leadership and exports. To truly solve the global climate challenge and ensure energy leadership, America must think globally and export proven technologies and create new markets. Although ExIm and DFC were able to finance some of the projects, there is more work that needs to be done to create financing packages that are competitive against Russia and China.
Plug in: U.S. lawmakers have been signaling the need for our export finance agencies to support more nuclear energy deployment in the U.S. and abroad.
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3. Washington Times: Fixing a broken energy permitting system
- The importance of prioritizing permitting reform to have any chance of financing and building enough clean energy infrastructure to accelerate emissions reductions;
- How House Republicans are putting permitting front and center – ensuring America’s ability to deploy billions of dollars of capital, creating American jobs, enhancing U.S. energy security, and reducing emissions; and
- The three principles to include in a final bipartisan deal on permitting.
Plug in: Read the full piece here.
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4. A road to lower emissions, paved with cement and concrete innovation
- Establishing RD&D efforts within DOE to bolster innovators to produce low-emissions cement and concrete;
- Prioritizing public-private partnerships to deploy and commercialize technologies; and
- Modernizing code to reflect performance-based standards.
What’s clear: U.S. industrial manufacturing is nearly 28% cleaner than our competitors. To reduce emissions, let’s return manufacturing to the U.S., where environmental standards are tougher than in places like China.
Plug in: The right policies could help return manufacturing capabilities to the U.S., reducing dependence on higher emissions producers, advancing domestic innovation, and providing clean and affordable solutions. Read Shaevsky and Bowman’s piece here.
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5. NRC approves licensing policy for fusion reactors
The five Nuclear Regulatory Commission commissioners voted that future fusion power plants should be licensed similarly to research and medical installations rather than under the current regulations current nuclear reactors are subject to. The Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act directed the NRC to develop the regulatory infrastructure to support the development and commercialization of advanced nuclear reactors, including fusion.
What’s clear: Fusion technologies are on the horizon and risk-informed, predictable regulations are necessary to support deployment.
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6. ICYMI
- Canada, France, Japan, the UK, and US committed this week to end Russia’s dominance over enriched uranium, the key input for nuclear reactor fuel, as well as reduce dependence on Russia for global nuclear supply chains.
- DAC Hub Resource: Check out this map from Reuters on proposed regional direct air capture hubs across the country.
- Terrestrial Energy achieved a breakthrough in the commercial development of its Integral Molten Salt Reactor power plant, by being the first advanced, high-temperature fission technology to complete Phase 2 of the pre-licensing Vendor Design Review in Canada.
- ClearPath Senior Research Associate Casey Kelly was a panelist on an Atlantic Council private workshop, “Roadmap for hydrogen trade: pipelines, liquefied hydrogen, and wires.”
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That's all from us. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
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