ClearPath Action Rundown
December 15th, 2023
Happy Friday!
We hope you have a happy holiday season. The Rundown will return to the top of your inbox on Friday, January 12.
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1. New developments for CCUS programs
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) announced up to $890 million in funding for three projects to demonstrate carbon capture technologies and store carbon dioxide underground.
These projects will capture roughly 7.75 million metric tons of CO2 annually from the respective power plants — the equivalent of 1.7 million cars.
The projects:
- Baytown Carbon Capture and Storage Project in Baytown, Texas, plans to capture carbon dioxide from the energy center’s natural gas combined-cycle power plant.
- Project Tundra in Center, North Dakota, will be developed adjacent to the Milton R. Young Station, a coal-fired power plant near the project.
- Sutter Decarbonization Project in Yuba City, California, will capture CO2 from the 550-megawatt natural gas combined-cycle power plant.
What’s clear: This nearly billion-dollar investment in carbon capture technologies demonstrates the culmination of years of rigorous private-sector innovation and continued support from the federal government for this technology, marking significant American leadership in the space.
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2. Conservative takeaways from COP
One of the most important developments from COP28 was more than 20 countries making an ambitious call to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050. Rich Powell explains how the U.S. can make this a reality in the Daily Caller.
Bringing the conservative message to COP is a crucial way to accelerate energy innovation in the U.S. Take a look at what Republicans are saying from this recent Politico article:
- “...Our delegation, our Republican delegation, supports lower emissions, supports affordable energy and supports energy security,” said Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA).
- “If you're under the age of 30, 85 percent of them rate climate change as a one, two or three issue, and they rate it with high intensity. That means they care about it and that means they vote on it,” said Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND).
- “I think you're gonna find a focus on emissions and how to operate on fossil fuels for power generation, but also capture some of that emission," said Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC).
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3. ClearPath & Axios at COP28
L to R: Rich Powell (CEO, ClearPath); Nicholas Johnston (Publisher, Axios)
Photo Credit: Arthur Abraham/ Haiku D Photography on behalf of Axios
ClearPath partnered with Axios and brought together private sector executives from Microsoft and Svante to highlight carbon management technologies and investments.
ClearPath CEO Rich Powell delivered messages on the banner year for carbon management and the innovations leading the way for future deployment in an interview with Axios publisher Nick Johnston.
Plug in: Thank you, Axios, for hosting such a meaningful conversation! Check out this video to watch the entire panel.
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4. Senate Energy looks at mining bill
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee examined mining and critical minerals, including S. 1281, "The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act" introduced by Sens. Cortez-Masto (D-NV) and Risch (R-ID). The legislation will:
- Address a contentious court decision on the Rosemont mine in Arizona that could threaten U.S. critical mineral projects and
- Provide more regulatory certainty on how developers can access critical minerals.
What’s clear: Access to U.S.-produced critical minerals is paramount to meeting our clean energy goals. Legislation like S.1281, which provides clarity and certainty along with reforms to our nation’s permitting system, is a critical piece of the puzzle.
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5. U.S. House passes ban on Russian uranium imports
H.R. 1042, the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Act, introduced by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) passed the House with bipartisan support. The legislation will:
- Accelerate the timeline to reduce reliance on Russian fuel and
- Incentivize domestic industry to build new capacity.
“Together, a ban on Russian nuclear fuel and an increase of our own production capacity can unleash the future of nuclear energy while keeping national security at the heart of energy policy,” said Rich Powell, ClearPath Action CEO.
ClearPath Action has urged the U.S. Senate to consider and pass the legislation.
What’s clear: This bill marks progress in American energy leadership on the global stage while simultaneously denouncing Russia as an energy superpower. It is crucial for America to lead the way to reach net-zero emissions.
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6. NEW REPORT: Carbon dioxide removal procurement
ClearPath published a new report on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) procurement opportunities this week. The report discusses:
- Previous procurement initiatives that have been successful,
- Federal investments in private sector solutions for CDR innovation, and
- A reverse auction concept as a catalyst for CDR commercialization.
What’s clear: While many breakthrough energy and manufacturing technologies are deployed to reduce emissions, we must still deal with what's already out there. Due to the challenge of completely decarbonizing some industrial sectors, such as aviation, shipping and industrial processes, CDR is essential for achieving emissions reduction goals.
Plug in: To learn more, read the full report by Senior Program Manager Savita Bowman.
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7. Looking ahead at the U.S. energy grid
Energy demand in the United States is increasing as grid planners nearly doubled the five-year load growth forecast, specifically indicating a jump from 2.6% to 4.7%. The Clean Grid Initiative led by Grid Strategies looks at the main drivers in this energy demand, including:
- Data center growth and the rise of artificial intelligence;
- Electrification of transportation and buildings;
- Investments in industrial and manufacturing facilities; and
- Increases in the frequency and severity of weather events
Plug in: Relatedly, E&E published an article examining how retiring power plants could create reliability challenges.
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8. ICYMI
- Senior Program Director Landon Stevens spoke with the Rainey Center and Americans for a Clean Energy Grid on the conservative take on transmission.
- In a Fox op-ed, Sen. Capito (R-WV), Miss America Grace Stanke and Chris Barnard of ACC highlight nuclear energy’s role in energy security.
- Rich Powell wrote an op-ed for RealClear Energy on the importance of carbon management, a theme at COP28.
- Senior Research Associate Casey Kelly joined R Street on interconnection and permitting reforms to reduce regulatory costs and delays for new power.
- Congratulations, Kairos Power, for receiving approval to build the Hermes test reactor!
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That's all from us. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
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