1. Advanced geothermal Co. Fervo Energy gets $4.5M boost
As part of a series of ARPA-E clean energy innovation awards, Fervo Energy was selected to demonstrate its advanced geothermal and long-duration storage technology, The FervoFlex™.
What’s clear: Geothermal energy is clean, safe, reliable and renewable. There is a virtually limitless supply of geothermal energy right beneath us.
- This heat can be harnessed for a variety of uses including electricity generation … heating and cooling of buildings … and other industrial and hybrid applications.
Plug in:
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2. Why the U.S. needs a domestic critical minerals supply chain
DOE recently announced $2.91 billion of the bipartisan infrastructure law will go towards the production of advanced batteries, critical to rapidly growing clean energy industries.
- Infrastructure Act funding builds on the Energy Act of 2020, which authorized new investments to bolster America’s critical mineral capabilities, including $6 billion for DOE to boost RD&D for battery manufacturing.
- Information on applying for the funding opportunities.
Plug in: Worldwide energy storage deployments are expected to triple compared to 2020.
- Energy storage is important for strengthening grid reliability and reducing emissions.
- Growth will dramatically increase demand for critical minerals, whose supply chains are largely controlled by the Chinese government.
- ClearPath’s Alex Fitzsimmons has more.
For the U.S. to build a domestic critical mineral supply chain, we need to get serious about what it takes to finance, permit, and build new projects.
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3. ClearPath expands communications team
ClearPath announced the addition of Jane Reynolds, who was formerly with Bracewell Policy Resolution Group and Advanced Energy Economy, as Communications Associate. Welcome Jane!
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4. NuScale prepares to deploy advanced reactor in Poland
American advanced nuclear reactor technology will be built in Poland, after a NuScale Power agreement to deploy its small modular reactor (SMR) technology.
- NuScale’s small modular reactor design was approved by the NRC in 2020.
- American entrepreneurs like Oklo … X-energy … TerraPower … Holtec … GEH … Kairos … and NuScale are ready to build and need the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to modernize and be prepared to review advanced nuclear licensing applications.
What’s next: The NRC could see at least 10 license applications by 2025, raising concerns about whether they are prepared to review and approve them. Other countries are already charging ahead with new construction:
- 52 nuclear reactors are under construction across the globe, but only two are in the U.S.
- Russia accounts for about two-thirds of reactor sales worldwide.
- China has 14 reactors currently under construction and has announced plans to build 150 new reactors over the next 15 years.
Plug in: The success of American technology today is important to maintain leadership globally.
- ClearPath’s Jeremy Harrell testified on how the NRC needs to modernize before the Senate EPW Committee last week.
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5. Duke, Dominion expand into new net-zero territory
Some of America’s largest publicly owned utilities and major American companies are taking action against climate change to reduce emissions.
- Duke is expanding its net-zero goals to include indirect emissions.
- Dominion is expanding to Scope 2 & 3.
- Southern Company, DTE, Xcel Energy, and PSEG also have bold commitments.
Plug in:
- Scope 1 emissions are the most obvious for companies to focus on — direct emissions that occur from sources controlled or owned by an organization (e.g. power plants).
- Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions associated with the purchase of electricity.
- Scope 3 emissions are from assets not owned or controlled by the reporting organization, but indirectly impacts their value chain.
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6. Preserving existing fleet of reactors
A provision of the bipartisan infrastructure bill included a Civil Nuclear Credit Program (CNCP) to help prevent early retirement of the existing nuclear fleet.
CNCP applicants must:
- Prove that their reactors are in danger of being shut down for economic reasons;
- Demonstrate that their retirement would lead to increased air pollution;
- Receive assurance from the NRC that their reactors will operate safely
Plug in: Nuclear provides over half of the clean electricity in the U.S.
- According to the Clear Path to a Clean Energy Future report, saving the existing fleet of reactors from premature retirement is one of the cheapest ways to help meet utility decarbonization commitments and preserve thousands of good paying energy jobs.
But don’t just take our word for it, look at Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania who are seeing emissions go up in their states after closing nuclear power plants.
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7. ICYMI
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8. Coming down the pipeline
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