January 27, 2023
Happy Friday!
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1. Congratulations to new House E&C subcommittee leadership!
Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) announced subcommittee leadership and membership which include these Chairs:
- Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) – Energy, Climate, and Grid Security;
- Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) – Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Minerals;
- Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) – Oversight and Investigations; and
- Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) – Vice Chair of the full Committee.
“Energy security is national security, and now more than ever, it is imperative that the United States is energy secure,” said Rep. Duncan. “We must utilize an all-of-the-above approach to address our nation’s energy crisis, including through nuclear energy production, which provides clean, reliable, and affordable energy 24/7/365. It is time we unleash domestic energy production and restore American energy independence and dominance.”
Plug in: "Addressing climate change is absolutely a prime priority," Chair McMorris Rodgers said in regards to adding “climate” to the historical Energy Subcommittee.
Coming down the pipeline: Next week, the full Committee will hold its first hearing in the 118th Congress, entitled, “American Energy Expansion: Strengthening Economic, Environmental, and National Security.”
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2. Diving into hybrid CDR
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is a necessary tool in achieving America’s net-zero emissions goals by 2050.
There are opportunities to further enhance CDR potential by combining natural solutions, which consist of carbon “sinks” like forests or seaweed, with engineered solutions: these options are called "hybrid CDR solutions."
Our Policy Associate Jasmine Yu dives into recent breakthroughs in hybrid CDR:
- Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS);
- Biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS); and
- Macroalgae cultivation;
And introduces future hybrid solutions to keep an eye on:
- Natural building insulation; and
- Agriculturally-enhanced root crops.
Plug in: Learn more about these hybrid solutions and the policies accelerating their development in "Biomass Hybrid CDR Solutions 101."
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3. NRC certifies first advanced reactor design
- The 12 reactor, 50MWe design, developed by NuScale, is half the size of a typical reactor and can be modularly constructed.
- NRC initially voted to certify the design last summer. After the recent official rulemaking, the approved standard SMR design can now be licensed more easily for construction and operation by American companies.
NRC’s final rule on the certification will go into effect February 21.
What's clear: Nuclear energy is making a comeback – at home in America and worldwide, and if policies support innovation and continue moving technologies towards commercialization, American nuclear energy will play a huge role in reducing global emissions.
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4. Geothermal’s potential in TX and beyond
A group of researchers from five Texas universities, the University Lands Office, and the International Energy Agency released a new report entitled, "The Future of Geothermal in Texas: The Coming Century of Growth and Prosperity in the Lone Star State.”
- The report evaluates the potential for geothermal energy in Texas and its ability to scale up, as well as geothermal’s coexistence with Texas’ oil and gas industry.
- Production of geothermal energy worldwide will increase in the next few decades and could meet a vast majority of the world’s projected electricity demand.
What's clear: Geothermal is a winner for clean reliability, investment opportunities, and land use – its only obstacle to deployment in the U.S. is a cumbersome permitting process.
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5. “You don’t need a battery to store energy”
Thermal energy storage takes excess heat energy and stores it in various materials, including water, rocks, cement, storage tanks, hydrogen, or in liquid air.
There are a number of U.S. companies pioneering this technology. Julian Spector dives into recent thermal storage developments in Canary Media and lays out 5 reasons why thermal storage may finally be set to take off.” His reasons include:
- More compact storage options are becoming available;
- Growing urgency around reducing electricity consumption during peak usage; and
- Increasing motivation for building owners to reduce their carbon emissions.
Plug in: Last year, our Managing Director for Research and New Initiatives Spencer Nelson testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on accelerating deployment of energy storage technologies. Watch his testimony here.
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6. Coming down the pipeline
Wednesday, 2/1, 4:00pm: Our Senior Director for Government Affairs Colleen Moss is speaking on a panel as part of CRES Forum’s discussion series on “Harnessing American Innovation.” RSVP for the event here.
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7. ClearPath is hiring!
Interested in nuclear energy or the industrial sector? ClearPath is hiring for three new roles!
Please send resumes and letters of interest to [email protected].
Plug in: Check out our full list of open positions on our Careers page.
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8. ICYMI
- Utility Dive discusses current challenges and the future potential of nuclear in the U.S., covering legislation and funding, the technology’s success in Europe, and the path forward for advanced technologies.
- Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) was named the first Vice Chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus.
- Exxon has halted routine flaring of natural gas in the Permian Basin. The company aims to end its routine flaring globally by 2030, as do Chevron, BP, and Shell.
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That’s all from us. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
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