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ClearPath Action Rundown 
March 7th, 2025

Happy Friday!

1. LNG: restoring American energy dominance

Three major announcements for American liquefied natural gas (LNG) this week will help unleash American energy dominance and restore order to LNG export reviews.

• Golden Pass LNG Terminal was granted export permit extensions to begin LNG exports from the Golden Pass, currently under construction in Sabine Pass, Texas. 
• Venture Global LNG plans to expand its existing Plaquemines export facility in Louisiana with a roughly $18 billion investment.
• Rep. Pfluger (R-TX) and Sen. Scott (R-SC) introduced the Unlocking Domestic *Our* LNG Potential Act.

What’s clear: “Exporting U.S. LNG supports American jobs, bolsters our national security and strengthens America’s position as a world energy leader. President Trump has pledged to restore energy dominance for the American people, and I am proud to help deliver on that agenda with today’s permit extension,” said Secretary Wright. 

Plug in: Phase 2 of S&P’s study, "Major New U.S. Industry at a Crossroads: A U.S. LNG Impact" found that developing additional U.S. LNG projects that are currently on hold or in the pre-Final Investment Decision stage would avoid carbon emissions equivalent to more than twice the annual emissions from the entire car fleet in Los Angeles County by 2040.

2. NEW blog: Tax Incentives Can Help Achieve Energy Dominance

Tax incentives are critical in driving innovation, reducing energy costs and positioning the U.S. to achieve energy dominance. By making clean energy more affordable and competitive, these incentives can transform the energy landscape. Here’s how:

• Preserving the 45Y/48E technology-neutral clean electricity credits supports advanced nuclear and geothermal technologies.
• Indexing the 45Q carbon capture credit to inflation accelerates American innovation to reduce global emissions.
• Broadening the 45X credit to include reliable power generation fosters growth in U.S.-made clean energy components.

Plug in: Read the full blog by Matthew Mailloux here.

3. NEW blog: U.S. Export Finance for Energy Dominance

The U.S. Export-Import Bank can boost America's energy dominance by modernizing its operations and supporting clean energy projects globally. Here's how to equip American producers for competition: 

• Create a National Interest Account; 
• Exclude strategic sectors from the default rate cap;
• Reinforce the U.S. jobs mandate; and 
• Modernize EXIM’s mission for global competitiveness.

Plug in: Read the full blog by Justin Williams here.

4. Texas delegation urges Class VI primacy approval

Class VI primacy is an effective tool for streamlining the permitting process for Class VI wells – enabling states to review and approve carbon storage permits in a matter of months. Today:

• Approximately 34% of Class VI permits under review by EPA are located in Texas.
• Seven states, in addition to Texas, are applying for Class VI primacy. 

Reps. Pfluger (R-TX) and Crenshaw (R-TX) led a bipartisan letter urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review and approve the Texas Railroad Commission’s Class VI primacy application in a timely manner. 

The letter highlighted:

• The importance of CCUS projects for reducing emissions;
• Creating jobs for Texans; and
• Driving investments in new, innovative technologies. 

What’s clear: Class VI primacy for Texas "will help streamline the approval process for future applications from other states, facilitate the launch of new CCUS projects, and ensure the implementation of appropriate environmental protections."

5. DoD’s new geothermal energy initiative

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) selected companies for the Air Force's Geothermal initiative to tap into America’s geothermal energy supply to enhance national security. 

This initiative will:

• Develop large-scale geothermal projects at DoD sites;
• Create custom, cost-effective and reliable energy solutions for each installation; and
• Provide dependable power for bases even during grid outages.

What’s clear: Geothermal provides valuable firm, flexible clean power to the grid. Geothermal currently produces more than four gigawatts of power to the U.S. grid, and a recent DOE analysis shows it has the potential to provide upwards of 90 gigawatts by 2050. This is equivalent to a 20x increase from current geothermal installations.

6. From wood waste to Hydrogen

Mote Hydrogen's $7 million Series A funding underscores the potential of using forestry residue to produce hydrogen, advancing clean energy solutions. Hydrogen is key to reducing emissions and enhancing U.S. energy security across multiple sectors. 

How it’s made: 

• Clean hydrogen can be made from biomass, like wood waste, through gasification;
• Gasification turns biomass into hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide at high temperatures without burning it;
• Once produced, the clean hydrogen can be used to produce power or as a feedstock for industrial processes.

What’s clear: Reducing emissions across domestic industries, like power generation and manufacturing, requires significantly increasing the deployment of low-emissions hydrogen to meet the growing demand from new markets like chemical production.

7.  Supreme Court rules against EPA in water permitting case

SCOTUS issued its opinion in a Clean Water Act permitting case that held that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cannot enforce “end-use” requirements in wastewater permits that "do not spell out what a permittee must do or refrain from doing.”

San Francisco v. EPA case:

• The EPA does not have the authority to impose vague conditions that make the permittee liable for the water quality of the water body it received a permit to discharge into.
• Is the latest example of permitting upheaval following the Biden administration’s overreach in permitting guidance that have clarified the more limited role of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). 
• Will require federal agencies to be more specific about the conditions a permittee must adhere to comply with federal regulations. 

What’s clear: An alternative permitting system, such as permit-by-rule, could alleviate permitting challenges by shifting the duty to comply. Congress has introduced new legislation to implement a system like this in the FREE Act. Recent executive orders have also indicated the Trump Admin’s preference for a more streamlined, permit-by-rule system.  

Plug in: Read the full opinion here.

8. ICYMI

• Baker Hughes and Frontier Infrastructure, which is developing the Sweetwater Carbon Storage Hub in Wyoming, partner on large-scale CCS, power generation, and data center projects.
• Carbon TerraVault, a DOE DAC Hub recipient, partnered with the National Cement Company of California to develop transport and storage solutions for 1 million tons of CO2 annually from the Lebec Cement Facility in Kern County.
• The House Financial Services Committee passed legislation to improve international cooperation on nuclear energy funding.

9. The Circuit

ABOVE: Hillary O'Brien was at CCUS 2025 in Houston, TX to discuss the value proposition for CCUS in the U.S., and the importance of alignment between CCUS policy, commercial viability, and project execution.

10. Coming down the pipeline

RSVP HERE: CEO Jeremy Harrell will participate in a conversation on scaling clean energy with Axios at CERAWeek 2025 along with Kathleen Barrón (Constellation), Jason Bordoff (Columbia University) and Heather Reams (CRES).

Going to CERAWeek? Connect with us! Reach out to Emily Johnson ([email protected]) and Katie Christian ([email protected]) for any CERAWeek inquiries.

ClearPath believes America must lead the world in innovation over regulation…markets over mandates…providing affordable, reliable, clean energy. 

That's all from us. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

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