ClearPath Action Rundown
December 6th, 2024
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Thanks to all who came out to celebrate this year's
accomplishments at our Holiday Party last night! |
1. ARC Act introduced:
breaking the nuclear project-finance
gridlock |
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Sen. Risch (R-ID)
introduced the Accelerating Reliable Capacity (ARC) Act, a bill to jumpstart scaling the U.S. nuclear industry
by providing incentives for strong project management and working to
reduce investment risk. ClearPath
Action supports this legislation.
This bill would:
- Support
the deployment of three or more early-mover nuclear
reactors;
- Address
the effects of cost uncertainty for critical megaprojects;
- Provide
additional financing support in partnership with existing federal
programs; and
- Not
require any new federal spending.
What’s clear: "The
demand for clean, reliable energy is driving renewed interest in
nuclear energy," said ClearPath Action CEO Jeremy Harrell. "The faster
nuclear projects get off the ground the faster the U.S. can build
critical technologies like data centers and new manufacturing
facilities. The ARC Act seeks to supercharge the deployment of new
nuclear projects to meet this need."
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2. What’s on the
whiteboard: cement & concrete innovation
unleashed |
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While cement and concrete emissions
account for 8% of global emissions, policy and private sector
ingenuity are driving the deployment of technologies like carbon
capture and storage (CCS) and innovations to produce low-carbon, safe,
and durable cement and concrete.
New and existing U.S. companies are driving this innovation,
including:
- Heidelberg Materials North America, Holcim, CRH, Brimstone and
Sublime Systems.
What’s clear: These innovative technologies offer a scalable pathway to
produce near-zero emissions cement, strengthen American manufacturing,
and bolster U.S. supply chains.
Plug in: To learn
more about the U.S. producers hard at work to reduce industrial
emissions, check out our newest whiteboard
video with Policy
Advisor Rafae Ghani.
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3. Meta making moves in
nuclear |
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Meta, the parent company of
Facebook, announced it will release a Request for Proposals (RFP) to identify
nuclear energy developers to help achieve its energy goals and power
AI innovation. This effort aims to:
- Deploy
multiple new units (one to four gigawatts total) to achieve cost
reductions.
- Engage
early in the development cycle on permitting, licensing and design to
start delivering power in the early 2030s.
What’s clear:
Meta’s announcement follows on the heels of Google and Amazon
in what is quickly becoming a race to
deploy advanced nuclear.
Plug in: We wrote
earlier this year about private
industry taking big bets on nuclear energy in order to meet power and clean energy
goals.
ICYMI: This week
Meta also announced a major new AI data center project in Richland
Parish, Louisiana. And Meta is partnering
with Entergy for
their power needs.
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4. EPA moves on West
Virginia Class VI well authority |
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Sens. Capito (R-WV) and Manchin
(I-WV) announced the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has proposed granting West Virginia the authority to oversee and
administer the Class VI well program in the state.
These wells:
- Store
carbon dioxide (CO2) safely deep underground; and
- Are
important for deploying carbon capture and storage (CCS)
projects.
Class VI primacy:
- Will
allow the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP)
the authority to permit the state’s own wells efficiently and safely
rather than through EPA.
What’s clear: “This is essential to protecting our ability to provide
reliable, baseload power in West Virginia through coal and natural gas
while reducing our power and manufacturing sector emissions,”
said
Sen. Capito (R-WV).
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5. Plans position
Indiana for nuclear leadership |
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Governor-elect Mike Braun (R-IN)
released his Freedom
and Opportunity Agenda which includes support for bringing advanced nuclear power to
the State. The agenda calls for:
- Exploring federal programs that reduce costs of converting
legacy baseload plants to nuclear.
- Identifying and addressing regulatory constraints and improving
coordination with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
- Engaging
developers, utilities, and major electricity consumers to develop
public-private partnerships enabling nuclear deployment.
What’s clear:
Indiana could quickly become a leading state for nuclear energy
development over the next decade. This initiative can support economic
development and boost American manufacturing, with potential for
advanced nuclear to play a role in providing for 24/7 reliable, clean
energy generation.
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6. On the record: Preparing for
the U.S. DFC’s Reauthorization |
ClearPath’s Senior Program Director for International Policy
Nick Lombardo providing comments to the DFC Executive Staff and Board
of Directors |
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ClearPath’s Nick Lombardo, joined a
board meeting of the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to propose
ideas to enhance and streamline their energy financing
capabilities.
What's clear:
Established during the first Trump Administration with bipartisan
support, the DFC has proven the value of a results-oriented approach
to advancing U.S. interests. To stay ahead of global competitors in
energy markets, the right policies must empower U.S. trade and
development financing to be more agile and strategic.
Plug in: Read
more about
ClearPath’s recommendations to improve the DFC through its upcoming
reauthorization.
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7. ClearPath promotes
clean energy innovation |
(L-R) Carolyn Kissane,
New York University; Heather Reams, Citizens for Responsible Energy
Solutions; Jeremy Harrell, ClearPath
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CEO Jeremy Harrell discussed natural gas and
the next generation of clean energy technologies at Energy Dialogue’s
North American Gas Forum panel. |
(L-R) Susanna Moriera, Executive Director and Co-Chair, H2Global
Foundation; Colleen Moss, Managing Director of Clean Manufacturing
Policy and Advocacy, ClearPath; Alex Kizer, SVP and COO, EFI
Foundation. |
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Managing Director of Industrial
Policy and Advocacy, Colleen Moss, moderated the “Shoring Up Demand
for Clean Hydrogen” panel at Deploy24 and discussed how to pair
hydrogen innovation with market development to accelerate the
deployment of clean energy projects.
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- Appalachian Power explores small
modular reactors (SMR) to meet
future energy demand in Virginia.
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Read more about ClearPath’s
perspective on shaping nuclear and natural gas energy policy in the
119th Congress in S&P
Global.
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Low-carbon cement start-up Sublime
Systems finalized
an $87 million award with the DOE’s
Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations to establish its first
commercial-scale cement facility in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
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That's all from us. Thanks for reading and have a great
weekend!
View this Rundown online
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