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ClearPath Action Rundown 
January 16th, 2026

Happy Friday!

Congratulations to Ho Nieh on becoming the Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission!

1. Energy innovation priorities in the appropriations package

Congress kicked off 2026 by advancing critical investments in American innovation, energy security and industrial competitiveness. The Senate passed a minibus fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations package by a vote of 82-15, following the House’s vote (397-28) last week.

The package includes the FY26 Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment bills with notable wins for next-generation energy technologies, such as:

• DOE's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program and Generation III+ Program to keep first-of-a-kind new nuclear reactors on track. 
• DOE's Carbon Dioxide Removal Purchase Pilot Program that eliminates our reliance on foreign supply chains for critical industrial feedstocks, utilizing carbon as a commodity.
• Applied Grid Transformation Solutions to modernize and harden the electric grid for new power generation and maintain reliability.
• Advanced steel manufacturing research that bolsters production while helping domestic manufacturers compete globally.
• Continued support for enhanced geothermal R&D and new demonstration funding to unlock more clean, firm geothermal power.

What’s clear: Together, these bills underscore bipartisan recognition that innovation-driven energy solutions are central to economic growth, national security and long-term emissions reductions.

2. DOMINANCE Act: Using ESCs to advance U.S. critical mineral supply chains

Reps. Kim (R-CA) and Bera (D-CA) introduced the DOMINANCE Act to bolster critical mineral supply chains, putting energy security at the center of U.S. foreign policy and reducing reliance on foreign adversaries. 

This bill authorizes Energy Security Compacts (ESCs), a program to establish bilateral energy security agreements as a core pillar of U.S. energy diplomacy.

ESCs:

• Are modeled on the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) proven compacts model, emphasizing economic growth and measurable outcomes;
• Leverage existing U.S. agencies like the Development Finance Corporation, the Export-Import Bank and MCC; and
• Support energy exports, providing alternatives to Chinese and Russian energy investments.

The bill would also create an Assistant Secretary for Energy Security and Diplomacy and codify the Mineral Security Partnership.

What’s clear: “While America's adversaries are moving to corner global energy markets, there is an opportunity for the U.S. to leverage a more agile foreign policy strategy to compete effectively and advance our energy leadership,” said ClearPath Action CEO Jeremy Harrell. 

Plug-in: Read from Jake Kincer and Nick Lombardo why the U.S. should Put Energy Security at the Center of U.S. Foreign Policy.

Go deeper: ClearPath’s report on Energy Financing Power: America vs. China dives into this global competition and how legislation like the DOMINANCE Act can promote national security.

3. NEW whiteboard video: Let American energy move

America’s power demand is rising fast, driven by AI, advanced manufacturing and electrification. Meeting that demand is not just about building more energy. It is about moving it. 

What to know:

• Transmission is the backbone of the electric grid, keeping power affordable;
• More transmission is needed to move power; and
• Stronger transmission improves reliability by connecting regions and balancing supply. 

What’s clear: Expanding transmission is essential to unlocking American energy, keeping bills affordable and staying globally competitive. Without it, next-generation power like new nuclear and geothermal cannot scale. 

Plug in: Watch ClearPath Head of Policy Lisa Epifani’s new whiteboard video, “Let American energy move: modernizing America's grid for growing demand,” where she explains how the grid works, why transmission is now one of the biggest bottlenecks and what it will take to modernize the grid for growing demand.

4. Accelerating American agriculture

The next era of American agriculture leadership will be defined by innovation. Federal investment declined by one-third over the past 20 years, while China has become the world’s largest funder of agricultural research and development. The Accelerating Cutting Edge (ACE) Agriculture Act was reintroduced this week in the Senate by Sens. Marshall (R-KS) and Bennet (D-CO) and in the House by Reps. Panetta (D-CA) and Feenstra (R-IA).  

This bill: 

• Reauthorizes AgARDA and removes the term “pilot” to establish program durability;
• Addresses high-risk barriers in the development of agricultural technologies and research tools; and
• Focuses AgARDA on research for addressing infectious disease, plant and animal pathogens, and reducing emissions from the sector.

What’s clear: American farmers and ranchers are facing unprecedented challenges, such as increased input costs, supply-chain disruptions and variable weather conditions that impact yields and profitability. AgARDA prioritizes American innovation to ensure our farmers and ranchers have the most up-to-date tools and practices to stay globally competitive.

Plug in: Learn more about how ClearPath is working with American farmers, ranchers and policymakers here.

5. States team up to accelerate nuclear deployment

Building more nuclear power will depend on state collaboration. Coordination requires navigating each state’s complex legal and regulatory landscapes as well as the physical infrastructure of the U.S. power grid. Interstate collaboration can move projects from concept to construction by:

• Minimizing risk by coordinating first-of-a-kind projects across multiple states;
• Aligning tax incentives, offtake agreements and financing structures;
• Building supply chains and workforce pipelines by coordinating manufacturing, siting and training across regions; and
• Pairing deployment with grid planning so new nuclear can deliver where demand is growing fastest.

Plug in: Read ClearPath’s new blog on how interstate compacts can accelerate advanced nuclear deployment and let America build.

6. The ClearPath Circuit

7. ICYMI

• Geothermal developer Ormat signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with AI data center developer Switch. The deal, expected to provide 13 MW of geothermal energy from a power plant in Nevada, marks Ormat's first geothermal PPA with a data center operator.
• Rio Tinto has developed Nuton, a lower-emissions bioleaching technology that produces 99.99% copper cathode without the need for traditional processing and refining. The company announced a two-year agreement with Amazon Web Services to supply Nuton copper for components used in U.S. data centers.
• CEQ Chairman Katherine Scarlett highlighted the Trump Administration's work to fix the environmental review and permitting process, and let America build in an op-ed in Newsweek.
• Constellation Energy completed its acquisition of Calpine, combining nuclear, natural gas and geothermal assets to create the nation’s largest electricity producer.
• The Louisiana-based Atlantic Alumina Company (ATALCO) is the only operating U.S. alumina refinery. ATALCO announced that the Department of War is investing $150 million of preferred equity and Concord Resource Holdings is investing $300 million in private capital to secure U.S. alumina production and build America's first large-scale primary gallium production circuit.
• Indigo Carbon PBC announced a 12-year agreement with Microsoft to supply 2.85 million soil carbon removal credits through its Carbon by Indigo program, supporting regenerative agriculture and American farmers across millions of acres.
  

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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