SENATE ENERGY TAKES NEXT STEP ON NELA

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has scheduled a hearing in her panel Tuesday featuring the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act, the next step towards likely action by the committee on the bipartisan and comprehensive blueprint for bolstering next-generation nuclear power.

Led by Murkowski and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), NELA addresses the lack of aggressive milestones for government-led nuclear energy research and development, and policy aimed at accelerating the commercialization of cutting-edge new American nuclear power technologies.

The bill is backed by 17 senators, 10 Republicans and 7 Democrats. Original co-sponsors include Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Energy and Natural Resources ranking member Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

ClearPath Action joined a coalition of eight other organizations in applauding the introduction: Third Way, Nuclear Innovation Alliance, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, BPC Action, American Council for Capital Formation, Clean Air Task Force, CRES Forum and the American Nuclear Society.
 

In a recent whiteboard video, ClearPath Executive Director Rich Powell walks through the main details of NELA and why it is worth closely tracking.

That includes establishing specific goals to align federal, lab and private-sector efforts; developing a 10-year strategic plan that supports advanced nuclear R&D goals; providing initial domestic supplies of the fuel needed for many U.S. advanced reactor designs; a reliable testing ground for advanced fuels and materials; and nuclear engineering scholarships to maintain a robust pipeline of nuclear engineering talent.
 

TIDE MAY BE CHANGING ON STORAGE

While federal energy storage R&D has focused mostly on battery technologies with applications in electric vehicles rather than grid-scale development and demonstration storage projects, that tide may be changing, ClearPath Policy Analyst Faith Martinez-Smith told SmartBrief.

The recent Trump administration budget request proposes a new $158 million crosscutting Advanced Energy Storage Initiative and $5 million dedicated for a new Grid Storage “Launchpad” strategy that would represent a new long-duration energy storage testing center. These are initial steps following bipartisan House and Senate language last Congress to establish “moonshot” goals for energy storage at the Department of Energy. This is essential in order to prioritize and focus federal R&D dollars towards outcomes.

However, Congress still should pass language giving direct authorization to DOE to set and meet moonshot storage goals. These goals would help create lower-cost and more durable grid-scale storage, including batteries. There are multiple bills that may do exactly that this Congress. There is also a need particularly to move beyond lithium ion for energy storage and batteries due to performance and sourcing obstacles.

One country Faith said could be a model for the U.S: The United Kingdom, which has several energy storage technologies demonstrated at grid-scale.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute has a new video highlighting North America’s biggest lithium ion battery storage facility, run by Sempra Energy utility San Diego Gas & Electric Company. The 30-MW facility contains 400,000 battery packs capable of storing 120 MWh — enough to power 20,000 homes for four hours.
 

THE MANY USES OF CAPTURED CARBON

ClearPath and the Carbon Utilization Research Council, with support from the mine workers and other unions, came out last year with a study (using modeling from NERA Economic Consulting and Advanced Resources International) forecasting some really big benefits that underscore the economic promise of using captured carbon from power plants for enhanced oil recovery: up to 780,000 new jobs and $190 billion in added GDP by 2040.

But while EOR is a major means of creating an economic case for capturing carbon, it is increasingly not the only means.

An analysis by Carbon180 found a total available market in the U.S. for so-called carbontech of $1.07 trillion, and a global TAM of $5.91 trillion. Their analysis indicated by far the largest segment of the market consisting of fuels, followed by building materials and plastics.

Earlier this month, the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority and the Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust joined Carbon180’s Carbontech Labs, a public-private partnership worth up to $9.75 million to accelerate startups that aim to turning waste carbon into valuable products.

An interactive map created by Third Way illustrates dozens of projects just in the U.S. that convert carbon into other products, from algae biofuel in Florida to concrete in Washington State.

Canadian-based Carbon Cure has many projects scattered from California to Georgia to convert carbon into concrete. The company so far has converted nearly 62 million pounds of recycled CO2 into 2 million cubic yards of concrete (amounting to more than 307,000 truckloads).

New Zealand-based LanzaTech, which now houses its global headquarters near Chicago, converts carbon to ethanol, including for use in jet fuel. Virgin Atlantic flew the first commercial flight last October using carbon-capture jet fuel produced by LanzaTech. This year it was named by Fast Company as the most innovative energy company and the 27th most innovative company overall in its annual list.

This is on top of public and private-sector efforts to implement next-generation technologies and infrastructure to capture and transport carbon for storage and utilization.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee by voice vote has forwarded to the full Senate the bipartisan USE IT Act (S. 383), which would support carbon capture technologies through public-private partnerships, carbon dioxide pipeline and other infrastructure improvements and R&D.

On the private side, NET Power, a 50-MW demonstration plant near Houston, is using the “Allam Cycle,” a revolutionary technology that could capture all carbon dioxide from natural gas generation. The plant achieved “first fire” in the spring of 2018 and may be the catalyst for large-scale carbon capture commercialization for new natural gas facilities. If successful, it will be a lower-cost and cleaner approach to making electricity with natural gas.
 

The Carbon Utilization Research Council, Global CCS Institute and Carbon Capture Coalition host a “Carbon Lunches” briefing at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center TODAY that will provide an intro to carbon capture, use and storage and “how this suite of technologies can deliver steep emissions reductions alongside other clean and renewable sources of energy.” It will feature a keynote from Bipartisan Policy Center President Jason Grumet and thoughts from Electric Power Research Institute Director Neva Espinoza on how carbon capture impacts the power sector and Cogentiv Solutions Principal Ron Munson on reducing industrial-sector emissions.
 

This is all going to be increasingly necessary as natural gas will likely continue its boom globally.

Speaking of which….
 

WHAT’S STILL NEEDED TO AID NATURAL GAS?

A recent Trump administration executive order could significantly streamline federal permits of natural gas pipelines (as well as hydropower).

But ClearPath has outlined a broader set of policy recommendations on how to continue to spur the U.S. role in global natural gas production and generation:

1. Export more natural gas

Streamline the LNG export approval process. Applications to export natural gas must be processed in a reasonable amount of time. A single natural gas contract can take years to receive government approval.

Facilitate more natural gas free-trade agreements. Contracts to export liquid natural gas are typically individually reviewed by the federal government. The review process adds unnecessary time and imposes extra costs on American exports.

2. Improve infrastructure

Establish deadlines for pipeline permit decisions. A single natural gas pipeline permit can take years to be approved by the federal government. Establishing regular and enforceable deadlines would reduce the regulatory burden and uncertainty on prospective pipeline developers.

Create pipeline corridors. The federal government can establish pre-permitted corridors to expedite the environmental review process for future pipeline developers.

Reduce natural gas leaks. Industry is deploying technologies to reduce incidental methane leakage from equipment, commonly referred to as ‘fugitive emissions’, such as from pipe connectors and valves. These strategies can be extremely effective climate solution because methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

3. Unlock advanced energy

Support energy exploration efforts. States often lack the resources to identify untapped energy resources beneath their feet. The federal government can help research and scope the potential of these untapped sources.

Research advanced technologies. Advanced natural gas technologies will deliver economic benefits, improve energy security and reduce emissions.  
 

THE PATH AHEAD

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