1. The critical missing link in Democrats' climate plans…
…is streamlining the permitting process, according to the Aspen Institute’s latest report, "Building Cleaner, Faster."
- What’s clear: We can only build new clean energy projects and cut carbon emissions as fast as we can permit the projects to do so.
What Aspen found: “Achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is ecologically essential, technologically feasible, economically achievable, but procedurally impossible.” Their recommendations:
- Immediate approvals for projects with well-understood environmental impacts.
- Accelerated approvals for those with unique, local impacts.
- Faster adjudication to stop prolonged litigation from bogging down approved projects.
- Consistent state and local policies to keep federally supported projects on the same framework and speedy timeline regardless of location.
Plug in: We can reform permitting without weakening environmental protections, adding regulations or taxes, or cutting out public input, our own Jena Lococo explains in “If You Permit It, They Will Build."
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2. America to break reliance on Russia for advanced nuclear fuel
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) granted a license to Centrus Energy, a nuclear fuel supplier, to start domestic production of HALEU — the nuclear equivalent of premium gasoline.
What’s clear: Most of the dozens of advanced nuclear reactor designs under development in the U.S. will only run on HALEU — and right now Russia is the world’s only supplier.
- The tech: HALEU — high-assay, low-enriched uranium — is enriched beyond what today’s nuclear reactors need, but well shy of a nuclear weapon.
How we got here: This license is the culmination of a 3-year, $115 million production cost-share between Centrus and DOE.
- The Energy Act of 2020 required DOE to establish a program to develop HALEU, and restricted imports of Russian uranium for the next 20 years, emphasizing the need to develop a domestic supply.
The path ahead: Using any domestic supply will require developing transportation infrastructure, and the Energy Act of 2020 will need to be fully implemented and funded.
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3. Key step for landmark energy R&D bill
The “DOE Science for the Future Act” passed the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee this week — offering a path to scale up U.S. innovation through basic science funding.
What’s clear: This bill is essential to America’s edge in next-gen energy tech, deepening key investments in basic, early-stage research through real-world test cases.
Here's Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK), the ranking committee member:
- “If we want to stay ahead of the curve and outcompete adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party, we must redouble our commitment to federal R&D.”
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4. Emerging clean energy technologies get financial boost
Advanced geothermal and direct air capture (DAC) both got big DOE investments this week:
- Up to $14.5 million from a new funding opportunity to accelerate the near-term deployment of enhanced geothermal energy.
- $12 million in funding for six DAC R&D projects.
What’s clear: Climate change demands a portfolio approach — we need both more clean energy sources, like zero-emissions geothermal, and tools like DAC that actually take carbon out of the atmosphere.
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5. ICYMI
- The steel industry's path to net-zero won’t be easy, Bloomberg found in a deep dive into one of clean tech’s dirtiest building blocks.
- The first fusion power plant in the UK will be built by Canadian startup General Fusion Inc., marking a milestone for clean energy innovation.
- Hear Rich’s chat with Decarb Connect, a global decarbonization network, in a podcast exploring bipartisan support for clean energy policies, including the Energy Act of 2020.
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Coming down the pipeline
June 24 — ClearPath: Former DOE official Paul Dabbar charts a path toward "Mobilizing Investment into Fusion Energy."
June 25 – ICCF Group: Industry and research experts offer a congressional briefing on microgrid technology’s climate potential.
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