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Welcome to your weekly Rundown, for the week ending June 12.
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Please stay safe and healthy, wherever you're reading this week.



Rich Powell to Testify before House E&C Committee on COVID-19’s Impact on Energy Sector
 
On Tuesday, June 12, Rich Powell, ClearPath Executive Director, is set to testify as the Republican witness at The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy hearing at 12:00pm entitled, “Reviving our Economy: COVID-19's Impact on the Energy Sector.” See more about the hearing ([link removed])

Last year, Powell became a regular Republican witness on climate change and energy innovation. Watch a few highlights from his recent testimonies here. ([link removed])



U.S. International Development Finance Corporation Lifts Nuclear Energy Export Financing Ban

On Wednesday, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) announced it is lifting the prohibition on financing civilian nuclear energy exports and will commence a 30-day comment period on the rulemaking. In May 2019, ClearPath published a white paper ([link removed]) on why DFC should allow nuclear energy export financing. Executive Director Rich Powell testified ([link removed]) before the House Financial Services Committee that “we must ensure that previous bans on nuclear financing at OPIC do not carry over to DFC.” In October 2019, a bipartisan group of Senators also urged ([link removed]) the DFC to lift the ban. Read more ([link removed])

RICH'S TAKE

"By lifting the previous restrictions on the U.S. nuclear energy industry to develop internationally, America is taking a huge step to truly offer a competitive product – similar to the incentives China and Russia provide when they approach other countries with offers to develop infrastructure and energy," Powell said in a statement to S&P Global Platts. Read the full article ([link removed])

“[Washington] must ensure that our companies, our innovators, and our clean-energy technologies have the best possible chance to compete internationally,” Powell told Reuters. Read the full article ([link removed])



Lithium and Critical Minerals Supply Chain 101

Are you aware of how many minutes you spend on your phone each week? On average, adults spend more than 3 hours a day on a smartphone, but have you ever paused to think about what your cell phone is made of? Sure there is a glass cover, some metal and plastic, but what about the battery?

Cell phones weigh ~7 ounces, and the battery is 1/5th of that. Most phones rely on a lithium-ion battery, which uses less than one gram (3/100ths of an ounce) of lithium as the “medium” for energy storage. As the lithium creates ions, they flow between anode and cathode to create a charge. Pretty cool, right?

But, for that tiny trace of lithium needed to be able to text Mom, the supply chain to get it is really complicated.

Read the latest ClearPath Energy 101: Supply Chain for Lithium and Critical Minerals Is … Critical ([link removed]) by ClearPath Policy Fellow Cameron Tarry ([link removed]) on the supply chain challenges for the clean energy industry.



EXIM Working to Strengthen American Competitiveness

Last week, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) held a public virtual meeting with more than 150 participants. Part of the discussion touched on China and how it has fundamentally changed the nature of competition relative to export credit finance, as well as how EXIM can foster U.S. competitiveness and economic growth. Read more ([link removed])

RICH'S TAKE

“American exporters and innovators can’t afford to fall behind in the global marketplace. Advancing a sound export policy for critical clean energy technologies developed here in America, for instance, will create a bright future for U.S. businesses as well as the developing world. EXIM is taking a leadership role in advancing economic and national security and protecting the taxpayer.”

Rich Powell is a member of EXIM’s Advisory Committee.



Movers in the Executive Branch

On Tuesday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee by voice vote advanced the nomination of Mark Menezes to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Energy. Menezes’ nomination now heads to the Senate floor for a full chamber confirmation vote, but the vote has not yet been scheduled. Read more ([link removed])

On Wednesday, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted along party lines to advance the nomination of White House acting budget director Russ Vought. He has served as acting Office of Management and Budget chief since January 2019. On Thursday, the Senate Budget Committee voted 11-0 to advance the nomination to the full Senate floor. Read more ([link removed])

On Monday, Christopher T. Hanson was sworn in by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman Kristine L. Svinicki as the fifth NRC Commissioner. Hanson was nominated by President Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve the remainder of a five-year term expiring June 30, 2024. Hanson will begin serving his term immediately. Read more ([link removed])

David A. Wright, nominated by President Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, also was sworn in Monday as an NRC Commissioner by Chairman Svinicki for a second term. His second term as Commissioner will begin July 1, 2020, and will end on June 30, 2025. Read more ([link removed])



Three Companies Combine to Build Micro Modular Reactor in Canada

Global First Power (GFP), Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation™ (USNC), and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) have formed a joint venture – the Global First Power Limited Partnership – to construct and operate a small nuclear reactor known as the Micro Modular Reactor (MMR™) Project at the Chalk River Laboratories site. The project development, licensing, construction, and operation of the commercial demonstration reactor will provide safe and sustainable low-carbon power and heat to industries, such as mining, and remote communities. Read more ([link removed])



E&C Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee Chair Favors Nuclear Energy

Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) is crafting legislation that aims to push the U.S. toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, including by the use of nuclear power. “Clean energy of any kind, including our nuclear energy, is an important factor as we go forward,” Tonko, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee, said in an interview with POLITICO Live. Read more ([link removed])



IN THE HEARING ROOM

In the hearing room this week: On June 10, the Senate Armed Services Committee marked up the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) ([link removed]).



IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

RealClear Energy: Bold American Strategy to Lead on Nuclear Energy

Recently, ClearPath Executive Director, Rich Powell ([link removed]) joined an event hosted by DOE on the Trump Administration Strategy to Restore American Nuclear Energy Leadership: A DOE and Industry Discussion.

Last week RealClear Energy published an op-ed )[link removed]) by Rich where he breaks down the Administration’s long view that a strong nuclear fuel supply industry will not exist without a thriving, growing demand for fuel.

“The strategy supports moonshot technology and robust American exports to build new reactors around the world..."

“Strategy is only as good as implementation, and this one can turn into reality — almost entirely by the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (NELA)."

Read the full op-ed, Bold American Strategy to Lead on Nuclear Energy ([link removed])



Forbes: The Navy’s New Battlefield Needs Small Nuclear-Powered Warships

This op-ed offers a perspective on why the U.S. Navy should consider using nuclear power technologies at sea. The piece states nuclear power provides several advantages, including enhanced U.S. national security. Read more ([link removed])



E&E News: Surging coal use in China threatens global CO2 goals

E&E News reported China permitted more new coal-fired power plants in March than it did in all of 2019 – reversing a two-year slowdown in China's coal expansion. The build-out has significant stakes for the planet as China already consumes more than half the world's coal. Read more ([link removed])



Houston Chronicle:The smart policy bet for carbon neutrality

A University of Houston energy professor and graduate student co-authored an opinion piece on why policies that support direct air capture technology are important to aid in repairing the economy while meeting long-term climate objectives. Read more ([link removed])



Let’s Show the World We’re Serious About Nuclear Energy

In the industry, we would say the U.S. could benefit from a versatile, fast neutron source to accelerate the testing of advanced nuclear fuels, materials, instrumentation, and sensors to enable development and deployment of advanced reactor systems. In plain English, we need to get serious about having complete nuclear energy testing capabilities — ASAP.

Read ClearPath’s latest blog on why we need the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR), Let’s Show the World We’re Serious About Nuclear Energy ([link removed]), by Nuclear Program Director Niko McMurray. ([link removed])



THE PATH AHEAD

Happening Today: The Breakthrough Institute is hosting a webinar today at 2:00pm ET entitled, “We Made Solar and Wind Cheap. Now What?” More details and register here ([link removed])

June 16: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing at 10:00am “to Examine the Impacts of COVID-19 on the Energy Industry.” ([link removed])

June 16: The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy will hold a hearing at 12:00pm entitled, “Reviving our Economy: COVID-19's Impact on the Energy Sector.”

June 18: Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) and the American Nuclear Society (ANS) are hosting an event, Clean Nuclear Energy for Industry: The Case for SMRs and Microreactors in Puerto Rico to discuss a recently released feasibility report. More details and register here ([link removed])

June 18: The Atlantic Council Global Energy Center and Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition (NENSC) are hosting a panel discussion on the nuclear industry’s response to the U.S. Department of Energy’s recently released Nuclear Fuel Working Group (NFWG) report. More details and register here ([link removed])

June 24: Save the date! The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) is hosting a virtual event, “The State of the Nuclear Energy Industry 2020,” from 10:00am - 11:30am ET. More details and registration information forthcoming.



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