American Energy Innovation Act embraces American innovation and reflects the global nature of the climate challenge

 
Senate Energy Committee Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ranking Member Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) introduced their energy bill, the American Energy Innovation Act, this week. The bill includes a number of clean energy innovation bills that together will reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. and globally.

“This clean energy innovation bill is a monumental move toward decarbonizing our economy,” said Rich Powell, Executive Director of ClearPath Action. “The American Energy Innovation Act will drive down the costs and improve the performance of next generation clean energy technologies. This provides more options for both American and global energy systems to go clean and address the climate challenge.”

See what’s in the bill  

DOE Secretary Dan Brouillette Testimony Highlights Advanced Reactors, Energy Storage

 
DOE Secretary Dan Brouillette testified before the House Energy & Water Appropriations Subcommittee this week on the Energy Department’s fiscal year 2021 budget request. He’s also scheduled to appear at the Senate Energy Committee on Wednesday.

The President’s proposed budget supports the development of energy storage technologies as well as zero-carbon advanced nuclear reactor deployment. Based on the recent spending bills, we are encouraged that Congress and the Administration will come together to continue their trend of investing in clean energy innovation R&D.
 

Geothermal Added to ClearPath Suite of Technology Platforms

 
Read more on why ClearPath supports geothermal and what pieces of legislation we are excited about in our new Geothermal policy section.
 

Major Energy Storage Company Receives Significant Investment

 
Highview Power, a long duration storage company announced Tuesday is getting a major investment boost to help commercialize the technology. Global industrial company Sumitomo Heavy Industries will be investing $46 million in Highview. Read more

Highview Power is a promising technology we are very excited about. As the grid continues to diversify and additional renewables are added to the mix, energy storage is expected to become the cornerstone for the grid of the future. The idea of grid-scale energy storage technologies typically brings bigger, better batteries to mind - but batteries represent just one piece of the energy storage puzzle. There are three main types of energy storage technologies: chemical, mechanical, and thermal. Despite a diversity of technologies, mechanical energy storage dominates the market. Mechanical energy storage includes pumped storage hydropower, which makes up roughly 95% of the storage on the electric grid. Chemical energy storage technologies include batteries like the ones found in phones, home power walls, electric vehicles, and grid applications. Thermal energy storage technologies store energy in temperature differences; both cold and hot energy storage technologies exist with various working fluids. Highview Power is one of the leading thermal energy storage designs. For more, read ClearPath policy analyst Faith Smith’s Intro to Energy Storage.
 

New Blueprint for Advanced Nuclear

 
This week, the Energy Impact Center launched the OPEN100 project, an open-source blueprint for the design, construction, and financing of nuclear power plants. In addition to their website, they have this video to help visually explain the concept, as well as this column highlighting how important it is for the U.S. to have a robust advanced nuclear industry to lead on reducing global carbon emissions.
 

GE Hitachi Nuclear’s Small Modular Reactor Sent for Review in Canada

 
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) submitted their Vendor Design Review of their BWRX-300 small modular reactor to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) this week.

“As the demand for affordable, clean, carbon-free energy grows, there is considerable global interest in the BWRX-300 SMR and Canada is poised to play an important role in its deployment,” said Jon Ball, Executive Vice President of Nuclear Products for GEH. “Continuing the pre-licensing process with the CNSC will move us closer to the commercialization of this breakthrough technology.”

Read more on their announcement
 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Xcel Energy Sets Record Reducing Carbon Emissions

 
Xcel Energy has made a commitment to provide 100% carbon-free electricity to customers by 2050. This week they announced they cut carbon by 5.6 million tons in 2019, a more than 10% reduction in one year. Since 2005, the company has reduced carbon emissions by 44%. Read more
 

Jay Joins Rep. Dan Crenshaw Podcast

 
ClearPath founder Jay Faison joined Rep. Dan Crenshaw recently on his podcast “Hold These Truths with Dan Crenshaw.” Listen

They cover a lot of ground including discussion of clean energy investments, hydropower, Navy Seal training, the importance of maintaining a robust nuclear power fleet, India’s electrification relying on coal, and plenty more.

Rep. Crenshaw closed the podcast saying, "ClearPath has not only been an advocate, but a big help to Members who want to bring forth solutions and legislation that are real -- not based on fantasy or emotion -- real solutions where the end goal is reducing emissions."

Podcast link
 

USA Today:
Climate solutions include free-market innovation, not taxation:
Sen. John Barrasso

Excerpts from Sen. John Barrasso’s op-ed in USA Today on clean energy innovation.

“Free-market innovation — not government regulation or taxation — is the best way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

“Those of us interested in real solutions are looking to free-market innovation to reduce emissions.”

“Clean and constant nuclear power emits zero carbon dioxide. We should expand America’s nuclear energy production and continue to support innovators building advanced reactors.”

“Just as critical is the development of technologies to capture carbon and use it to produce commercial products such as building materials.”

Read more
 

Columbia University: “New Republican Take on Climate Change”

 
Speaking of podcasts, Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) the ranking member of the Select Committee on Climate Change, joined Columbia University’s podcast, the Columbia Energy Exchange, hosted by Bill Loveless. Listen here

Among other things, Graves talks about the carbon capture bills he, Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, and others rolled out last week as the first phase of the House Republicans climate change plan. The bills promote more research on carbon-capture technologies and uses for carbon, and make permanent a tax break for companies that use the technology. It’s a mix of old and new policy ideas, some of which already enjoy bipartisan support.

Podcast link
 

THE PATH AHEAD

 
March 3: House Energy & Commerce Committee will hold a hearing "Building a 100 Percent Clean Economy: Advanced Nuclear Technology’s Role in a Decarbonized Future." 

March 3: House Appropriations Energy & Water Subcommittee will hold a hearing "Department of Energy Applied Energy Programs’ Budget Requests for FY2021" 

March 4: The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold a hearing entitled, "Oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission" 

March 10: A new book by Robert Bryce, A Question of Power: Electricity and the Wealth of Nations, will be released to the public.

March 11: The Clean Energy Business Network will be hosting dozens of businesses who are developing clean energy technologies on Capitol Hill. More details coming soon.

March 18: The Department of Energy (DOE) and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Public Forum on a Regulatory Framework for Fusion. Register here

March 23-24: The U.S. Department of Energy and the National Energy Technology are hosting an InnovationXLab; CarbonX Summit in Pittsburgh.

March 26: The American Energy Innovation Council will be hosting a briefing on Capitol Hill with U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette to discuss recommendations for accelerating clean energy innovation. More details coming soon.
 

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