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ClearPath Action Rundown 
March 28, 2025

Happy Friday!

1. NEW video: Reclaiming American leadership in agricultural innovation

The U.S. has a long history of agricultural innovation driven by the dedication and entrepreneurship of American farmers and ranchers. However, federal investments in agricultural research and development have lost momentum, while China has significantly increased its investments in this area.

To maintain our position as a global leader, it’s crucial that we:

• Accelerate agricultural research and development;
• Push for new, innovative solutions to lower emissions while increasing yields; and
• Meet the growing demand for food, fuel and fiber.

Plug in: Watch our new video.

2. NEW blog: How to Modernize our Permitting System and Let America Build

Modernizing the permitting system is essential for addressing America's growing energy demands and strengthening its position in the global market. The current system = unnecessary delays. We need to let America build, ASAP.

What’s clear: For a durable solution, there will need to be a change in law.

• One example is the Full Responsibility and Expedited Enforcement Act or “FREE Act,” introduced by Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT), which would enhance the efficiency in permitting across all federal agencies. 
• Some know this as “permit-by-rule.” We call it “letting America build.”

There is a big opportunity for Congress to look at how the U.S. currently operates its permitting system so we can continue to meet rising energy demand while complying with all laws and environmental standards. 

Plug in: Read the full blog by Jeremy Harrell here.

3. A multi-million dollar step toward carbon-free agriculture

Eion secured a $33 million purchase agreement from Frontier, a private fund with members like Meta, McKinsey, Alphabet, Shopify and Stripe, to accelerate the use of enhanced rock weathering technology, aiming to boost carbon removal through agricultural practices. This agreement will finance the removal of over 78,000 tons of CO2 between 2027 and 2030.

What’s clear: There is strong support from the private sector for U.S. agricultural innovation to increase productivity and feed a growing population while reducing emissions.

4. New Blog: The Trump DOE Just Streamlined the Award Process

The U.S. Department of Energy reissued a  $900 million funding opportunity for the Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor (GEN III+ SMR) Program. This move is a key step in advancing U.S. energy innovation, streamlining the process for deploying next-generation nuclear technologies. This revised funding opportunity will:

• Support SMRs as a reliable, clean and scalable energy solution to meet demand and boost energy security;
• Focus reviews on safety, technical soundness, commercial viability and project deliverability to select the best projects; and
• Remove requirements unrelated to the technical or economic success of the project, like mandatory community benefit plans required by the Biden administration.

What’s clear: Streamlined permitting and award processes will cut delays, enabling faster deployment of innovative energy projects like SMRs. This approach accelerates America’s energy innovation, ensuring cleaner, more reliable power solutions are brought to market quickly.

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

5. House IMPACTs clean manufacturing

The House passed Reps. Miller (R-OH) and Foushee (D-NC) IMPACT Act under suspension, which will establish a dedicated RD&D program for innovative cement, concrete and asphalt at DOE and create American Jobs.

The IMPACT Act will:

• Promote R&D of advanced technologies for low-emission production; 
• Focus on carbon capture and domestic inventions in the production of cement, concrete and asphalt; and
• Strengthen workforce development and American industry's competitiveness in the global market.

What’s clear: IMPACT’s passage in the House is the first step to boost American cement, concrete and asphalt innovation, laying the groundwork for the enactment of IMPACT 2.0 and the Senate’s Concrete and Asphalt Innovation Act.

6. The Circuit

• Emma Quigg, Policy Associate, spoke at the World Hydrogen Policy & Regulation Conference about moving hydrogen projects from policy to reality.

7. ICYMI

• ClearPath Action is one of 45 organizations that signed a letter addressed to Agriculture Secretary Rollins emphasizing the need for investment in agriculture innovation as the U.S. looks to regain leadership on the world stage.  
• The DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act (H.R.1326) sponsored by Rep. Lucas (R-OK), which will modernize research coordination across agencies, passed the House on suspension.  
• Geothermal energy is heating up as start-up XGS Energy announced it is raising $60 to $100 million to advance its geothermal projects. 
• Terrestrial Energy, which is developing a molten salt reactor, announced its plans to go public.
• Check out this opinion piece titled “Carbon removal is the trillion-dollar industry that could transform Alaska’s economy,” highlighting Sen. Murkowski's (R-AK) leadership on carbon removal.
• For the first time ever, the Trump Administration approved a project allowing access to federal pore space for carbon injection, granting access to over 600,000 acres for carbon injection.

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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