Rich Highlights Macroeconomics of Clean Energy Solutions at House Financial Services Subcommittee
On Wednesday, ClearPath executive Director Rich Powell testified at the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship and Capital Markets in a hearing called Examining the Macroeconomic Impacts of a Changing Climate. Rich highlighted clean energy solutions with these five themes.
- The reality of climate change and its pressure on our economy
- Climate solutions in innovation investments
- Our global realities and challenges
- The role America can play internationally
- How to build on last Congress’ bipartisan clean energy record
WATCH RICH’S TESTIMONY
READ RICH’S TESTIMONY
See Rich’s recent testimony before the House Budget and before the House Ways and Means committees.
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House Passes Critical Advanced Nuclear Bill
This week the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1760, the Advanced Nuclear Fuel Availability Act sponsored by Reps. Bill Flores (R-Texas) and Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.).The bill takes a critical step of creating an interim supply of advanced nuclear fuel for new reactors and requires the Department of Energy to establish a program to develop high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU). HALEU is uranium enriched beyond what older model nuclear reactors required, but much lower than what is necessary for any nuclear weapons.
There are dozens of advanced nuclear designs under development in the United States, some of which are proceeding through the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Most of these reactors can only run on HALEU, the nuclear equivalent of premium gasoline, which doesn’t currently have a commercial supply in the U.S. This bill addresses the critical lapse in domestic supply of the HALEU that will be needed to fuel most advanced reactors being designed.
RICH'S TAKE
“Without a domestic HALEU supply, new startup companies will be unable to develop their designs without importing fuel from Russia. Filling this supply here would allow the U.S. to take a major step toward catching up with China and Russia, who have been trying to corner the advanced reactor technology and fuel market.”
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Senate Energy & Water Appropriations Is Big for Clean Energy Investments
On Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the fiscal year 2020 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill by a vote of 31-0. The bill includes important investments in the Department of Energy’s basic and applied energy offices and policy direction that will help lead to the development and deployment of new, clean energy technologies. Among the bill’s highlights are provisions to jump start the development of advanced nuclear reactors by creating a new demonstration program for new reactor technologies. Additionally, it invests in the development of carbon capture and storage technology for coal and natural gas. Although the mark up is only the first step in the Senate process, the legislation makes clear that there is strong bipartisan support for clean energy innovation.
RICH'S TAKE
“It is great to see a Senate bill that emphasizes both the basic and applied research programs at the Department of Energy. This legislation is an important step in the process, and, when combined with the work done earlier this year in the House of Representatives, puts innovation at the Department of Energy in a strong position as the appropriations process plays out for fiscal year 2020.”
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ClearPath & Battelle Host House Science & National Labs Caucus
ClearPath co-hosted and moderated a Labs Caucus briefing this week to discuss the importance of grid storage and innovation. Panelists included the Pacific Northwest National Lab, Quidnet Energy, Form Energy, and Enel Green Power. Guest speakers included Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL), Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wa.) and Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity, Bruce Walker.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Rich featured on Foxnews.com: What Democrats are missing on climate change
Rich Powell, ClearPath Action executive director, highlighted five critical factors the Democratic presidential candidates have been ignoring or down playing on climate change, which Republicans haven’t missed. Rich says that Republicans want to work with Democrats on stronger innovation-driving policies that will commercialize the broad suite of cutting-edge clean energy technologies needed to reduce global emissions as quickly and cheaply as possible, and the need to focus on solutions--not argue.
Rich Powell for FoxNews: Dems want to fight climate change in all the wrong ways – Here’s what they should support
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THE PATH AHEAD
September 25 - During Climate Week NYC 2019, ClearPath is co-hosting an event called Capturing Carbon & Your Attention, a cocktail reception and short film on Carbon Capture & Storage. Event will be co-hosted by: Clearpath, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, and the International CCS Knowledge Centre. Click here for details and to register
September 26 - Third Way, Carbon180, and XPRIZE will host the second annual “Carbontech on the Hill” event, which brings together carbontech innovators from across the country to share their work and progress toward building a new carbon economy. Click here for details to register.
September 23 - 27: National Clean Energy Week (NCEW). National Clean Energy Week (NCEW) described by POLITICO as “a veritable who’s who of the Clean Energy World,” has announced key dates and speaker information ahead of its third annual celebration. Join ClearPath in celebrating and raising awareness for reducing emissions through clean energy technologies. As September quickly approaches, here are ways you can get involved now:
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