Three new laws signed by President Biden position America to lead a global clean energy industrial era. Third Way invites you to an in-person event on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 10:00 AM ET featuring Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm on the significant and lasting economic benefits from clean energy innovation driven by American researchers and scientists, manufactured by American businesses and workers, and deployed at home and around the globe.

The investments in the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and CHIPS and Science Act will cultivate domestic industries and help America compete within booming global markets for clean technologies. Sec. Granholm will be joined by leaders from the private sector and policy experts to discuss groundbreaking new research by Boston Consulting Group, commissioned by Third Way and Breakthrough Energy, that shows that the industries supporting six clean energy technologies alone could grow by over $60 trillion globally between now and 2050, roughly three times the size of today's US GDP.

RSVP HERE!

WHEN AMERICA LEADS: COMPETING FOR THE FUTURE OF CLEAN ENERGY

Thursday, September 15, 2022
10:00 AM-11:30 AM EST (Doors at 9:15 AM)
Hamilton Live
600 14TH ST NW, Washington DC, xxxxxx

Nuclear energy is currently our largest source of carbon-free electricity and a key player in our overall clean energy mix if we hope to reach net-zero by 2050. We’re seeing more policymakers recognize the role nuclear can play and move to keep existing plants open or add new, advanced nuclear power to help decarbonize more rapidly.

Last week in California, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill to keep Diablo Canyon, California’s last nuclear power plant, open and operating for an additional 5-10 years. The legislation offers PG&E a forgivable $1.4 billion loan to keep the plant operational, contingent on assurance from the federal government’s new $6 billion Civil Nuclear Credit Program and approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Across the Atlantic, Belgium announced it would extend the life of its plants, pressure is mounting for Germany to do the same thing despite strong opposition from the Green Party that is part of its governing coalition, and public support for keeping plants open in Switzerland is growing. In Japan, the national government also recently announced that it will reverse its post-Fukushima decision to idle much of its nuclear fleet and instead will restart more of its existing plants and develop advanced reactors.

We have always been strong advocates for a technology-inclusive clean energy mix, including nuclear energy for countries that want or need it. Modeling from our European initiative, Carbon Free Europe, shows that Germany’s decision to close its nuclear plants severely compromised its energy independence. Over a third of Germany’s electricity will have to be imported by 2050 with nuclear out of the equation. 

Here’s a fun fact: nearly one-third of all the food we eat comes from food pollinated by honeybees. Here’s a less fun fact: nearly one-third of Americans are unaware of the historic provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act. Only 29% of Americans have heard a lot about the Inflation Reduction Act, according to polling from Climate Power and the League of Conservation Voters, but after learning about the bill, 63% held a favorable opinion. 

The Inflation Reduction Act is bringing key supply chains back home and giving American industries the tools they need to invent and manufacture clean energy technologies at the scale we need to shore up American energy security and voters love it! Polling from Data for Progress shows that a majority of voters (51%) think the bill will increase American energy security. 

Democrats have delivered the single most influential climate policy in American history and now they have to talk about it every chance they get! We already saw the perils of failing to communicate the bill’s benefits–less than a quarter of Americans knew the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal was law over 6 months after President Biden signed the bill. We can’t let this happen again. The task ahead of Democrats is simple: brag about the massive cost-saving wins that the Inflation Reduction Act will deliver for Americans.