1. Cheering LNG pause misses the big picture on climate

The Biden Administration’s pause on LNG export permits drew cheers and praise from some environmental groups and lawmakers. ClearPath believes LNG is an important part of the global clean energy system, and utilizing more LNG is also good climate policy – especially as it could displace Russian gas in Europe or coal in Asia.

• A life cycle analysis from the DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory on LNG exports shows American LNG can be up to 30% cleaner than Russian natural gas.
• LNG has been a booming industry as U.S. producers are currently exporting the clean fuel to 39 countries around the globe.

Plug in: Sen. Kennedy (R-LA), the Ranking Member of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, wrote in The Wall Street Journal that he’d pause the Biden Administration’s nominees until they allow the pending export permits to move forward.
 

2. Palisades plant revival

Palisades Energy LLC, a subsidiary of Holtec International, will reportedly be awarded a $1.5 billion federal loan from the DOE to restart Michigan’s Palisades nuclear power plant. The plant is on track to produce energy in late 2025 after closing in early 2022.

• Palisades can generate up to 800 megawatts of clean power.
• This would be the first time a previously shuttered U.S. nuclear plant was reopened.

What’s clear: Nuclear reactors are America’s clean energy battleships, but the existing fleet of reactors has shrunk from 104 reactors in 2012 to 92 today. We have lost some of the biggest — in 2013, California shut down the remaining San Onofre reactors. In 2018, New Jersey shut down the Oyster Creek reactor. In 2021, Indian Point shut down in New York. As a result, America lost about 7 gigawatts of clean energy capacity. Restarting Palisades is a great change in the other direction.
 

3. U.S. and Japan collaborate on nuclear energy

At the U.S.-Japan Roundtable’s Annual Washington Conference, hosted by the Howard Baker Forum and the Atlantic Council, Chief Strategy Officer Jeremy Harrell spoke about:

• Bipartisan legislation to support the growth of the domestic fuel supply chain;
• The need for swift legislative action on nuclear regulatory reform proposals like the ADVANCE ACT and the Atomic Energy Advancement Act; and
• The U.S.’ global partners have confidence in Congress and the Executive Branch to focus on promoting new nuclear here and abroad, regardless of the 2024 election.

What’s clear: The U.S. and over 20 allies, including Japan, recently pledged to triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050. Agreements like these are a step in the right direction for meeting this goal.

Plug in: To learn more about the need for U.S. leadership in nuclear energy, check out Niko McMurray’s testimony from a recent hearing before the HFSC.
 

4. ICYMI

• Takeaways from the biennial meeting between the FERC and NRC include 25 SMR license applications expected by 2029.
• Spectra, an affiliate publication of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, outlined five innovative solutions for meeting demand with cleaner cement.
• The Nuclear Innovation Alliance (NIA) and Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) report that federal regulators must speed up the licensing and permitting process.

5. Coming down the pipeline

• Today at noon: Jeremy Harrell will speak on the American Nuclear Society’s webinar, “Experiences and Reflections from COP28.”