1. EPA’s carbon storage backlogs
The EPA has a backlog of over 150 Class VI Underground Injection Control (UIC) well applications to sequester carbon dioxide, which drew questions from the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology to EPA Administrator Regan this week.
- Rep. Baird (R-IN) asked how many Class VI well permits the EPA had issued this year. Administrator Regan said he would need to confirm the number — the answer is zero.
- Rep. Weber (R-TX) pressed Administrator Regan to move expeditiously on the state primacy applications.
- The EPA has released a tracker outlining a 24-month process, but states with primary enforcement authority, or “primacy,” have shown they can do this in six to nine months.
What's clear: “Carbon capture projects have seen tremendous momentum in recent years, and there is mounting pressure from potential developers to expand CO2 storage capacity. In the absence of a streamlined federal regulatory system or more states taking the reins through Class VI primacy, the technology adoption will hit major roadblocks,” said Rich Powell, CEO of ClearPath Action.
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2. Implementation of BEST Act started
Thanks to leadership from Sen. Collins (R-ME) and others, the implementation of the Better Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Act has begun. This week, the Department of Energy announced nine recipients for long-duration energy storage test projects to receive a collective $325 million in funding. The legislation focused R&D on:
- Flexible power systems with a minimum duration of six hours and with a lifetime of at least 8,000 cycles of discharge and 20 years of operation;
- Long-duration storage systems with a power output of 0-100 hours with a lifetime of at least 1,500 cycles and 20 years of operation; and
- Seasonal storage systems.
What's clear: With the BEST Act authorizations, robust appropriations for DOE energy storage programs, the Energy Storage Grand Challenge Roadmap, and Long Duration Storage Shot, the acceleration of demonstration and commercialization of next-generation energy storage technologies is underway.
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3. Nucor Steel invests in Helion fusion power plant
Nucor Corporation, the largest steel company in the U.S., announced a collaboration with Washington-based fusion power company Helion to develop a 500 MW fusion power plant. This project plans to supply baseload zero-carbon electricity from fusion directly to a Nucor steelmaking facility.
- Nucor is investing $35 million in Helion to accelerate fusion deployment in the U.S.
- This is the first agreement to use fusion to power a manufacturing facility and could create a path for decarbonizing the industrial sector.
- Zero-carbon electricity from fusion companies like Helion can make the U.S., already the cleanest steel in the world, even cleaner.
- Helion also signed an agreement with Microsoft to power a data center by 2028.
What’s clear: For decades, scientists have been trying to create a fusion generator that could supply the world with unlimited clean electricity. In recent years, innovative designs and scientific breakthroughs have brought this goal close enough to impact our electricity system and reduce emissions in energy-intensive industries — this deal accelerates the breakthrough.
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4. The future of uranium in the U.S.
Centrus Energy Corp. will start producing high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) in Piketon, Ohio, next month. It will complete its first phase, an anticipated production of 20 kilograms of fuel, by December.
- Over half of the HALEU supply chain is currently dominated by Russia and its allies.
- Many advanced nuclear companies will rely on HALEU to power their reactors.
- The U.S. can be a global supplier with more investment and international cooperation.
What's clear: This is much needed as the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently released its annual report, exposing a clear bottleneck in the international uranium market, and this is the first step toward clearing this obstacle. Improved nuclear fuel policies must improve to build a domestic supply chain and meet global emission targets.
Plug in: Check out our Policy Fellow Jack Ridilla’s latest blog here.
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5. Republican governors weigh in on permitting reform
This week, 17 Republican governors, led by Governors Joe Lombardo (R-NV) and Spencer Cox (R-UT), raised concerns with the Biden Administration’s proposed permitting rule, saying the recent National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) changes make the process “less efficient, less effective, invite litigation, and fail to fully consider state-specific information in the NEPA process.”
- The U.S. may need to double the capacity of our grid by 2050 to meet energy demand.
- This means the U.S. will need to build tens of thousands of new clean energy projects this decade. And every project starts with a permit.
What's clear: Governors are on the front lines of building the next generation of energy projects. Many projects in their states are ready to go but are currently stuck in permitting purgatory.
Plug in: ClearPath has put forward a plan that modernizes permitting and gets clean American energy produced sooner while protecting the safety of our communities. ClearPath’s Policy Manager Matthew Mailloux recently published a blog on the NEPA rule missing the mark.
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6. Talking climate solutions in the Washington Times
Today wraps up National Clean Energy Week, a celebration of the policies, industries and innovations that power our daily lives while producing lower carbon emissions.
What's clear: What’s clear: The U.S. has abundant natural resources, from fossil fuels to critical rare earth minerals, and is ready to innovate.
Plug in: Check out CEO Rich Powell’s piece in the Washington Times.
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7. ICYMI
- The House passed H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, with bipartisan support and enacted the first permitting reform in 40 years as part of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA). Check out Speaker McCarthy’s (R-CA) op-ed in the Washington Times for more.
- Canary Media has an article on Fervo Energy breaking ground on a next-generation geothermal plant in Beaver County, Utah.
- Hydropower is an important part of our clean energy system. The LA Times reports on how Idaho is moving towards a resolution to keep hydroelectric dams running.
- The DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced $27 million for carbon dioxide transport networks to manage carbon emissions.
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