The Hill: Give Republicans the climate credit they deserve

Former House E&C Chairman Greg Walden and ClearPath Executive Director Rich Powell wrote an op-ed for The Hill over the weekend explaining how Republicans have made tremendous strides on climate.

“We have institutionalized big, bold goals anchored by clean energy breakthroughs, and even campaign on innovation as the best approach to solving the climate challenge…The culmination of the years of effort can be summed up in one piece of legislation — the Energy Act of 2020.”

Read the full op-ed.

The Literal Building Blocks of Modern Society

Cement and concrete are used in everything from roads to buildings. Since their time-tested recipes create a significant amount of carbon dioxide emissions as a byproduct, efforts are now underway to reduce the product’s carbon footprint. Around the world, about eight percent of carbon emissions can be traced back to cement and concrete production.

Check out our Cement and Concrete policy page here.

ClearPath Joins Nuclear Energy TV

ClearPath Policy Managing Director Jeremy Harrell joined Dave Gardy on Nuclear Energy TV for a special presentation in preparation for the United States Nuclear Industry Council (USNIC) Advanced Reactor Summit. Jeremy discussed the need for advanced nuclear reactors to meet global emissions reduction targets, the global market for advanced nuclear technologies, the U.S. regulatory framework, and political support for these technologies.

Watch the interview here.

Hydrogen for Nuclear is H₂OT

S&P Global Market Intelligence reported this week that energy industry experts see a strong potential role for nuclear energy to play in the hydrogen space. “Opportunities for the nuclear sector are likely viable in a few years rather than decades,” said Jeremy Harrell, ClearPath Policy Managing Director. “I think you’re going to see a real concerted effort on the public policy front to try to accelerate hydrogen buildout as a whole.”

While commercial-scale hydrogen production from nuclear reactors is on the horizon, its potential deployment will ultimately hinge on federal policies to drive market demand, private sector investment, and infrastructure buildout. Jeremy added, “I think it’s absolutely an opportunity to help drive demand, generate some revenue for some of these clean energy engines, like our existing nuclear facilities. The administration is saying, ‘Build back better.’ We need to build cleaner faster.”

Read the articles:
’Not bonkers’: Hydrogen could give US nuclear plants new lease on life
Nuclear plants could soon produce hydrogen, but federal policy questions linger

WATCH: Energy Act of 2020 – A Clean Energy Road Map

Congress recently passed one of the biggest advancements in clean energy and climate policy in over a decade – the monumental Energy Act of 2020. Tucked away in the 5,000 page end of year omnibus was a wholly bipartisan, clean energy innovation roadmap. Watch ClearPath’s latest whiteboard video where Rich Powell explains what’s in the Energy Act and why it’s so important.

Watch the video here.

THE PATH AHEAD

April 15: The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis is holding a hearing, “Making the Case for Climate Action: The Growing Risks and Costs of Inaction.”

April 15: The Global America Business Institute (GABI) is hosting a virtual workshop, International Coordination in Nuclear Energy Innovation: Regulatory Harmonization and Opportunities for Early Demonstration and Deployment. RSVP here

April 20: Join the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) Webinar Series as we examine the opportunities, challenges, and innovations needed for Shaping our Carbon-Free Future Register here

April 27-28: Foreign Policy is hosting a virtual climate summit, Advancing the Global Dialogue on Climate Action.