Happy National Hydropower Day

Do you know which renewable energy source has the best track record of reducing emissions in the U.S. and abroad? That’s right, hydropower! It’s clean, safe, and dispatchable when we need it. The U.S. hydropower fleet produces enough electricity to power more than 20 million households each year, making it the fourth largest electricity source after natural gas, coal and nuclear. It is also the country’s largest form of energy storage, making up 97% of America’s total with additional development potential around the country. Hydropower is one of the oldest ways to make electricity, but since the 1960s the stream of hydropower development gradually slowed to a trickle. Here’s a free hint to the candidates -- talk about fixing the bureaucratic federal licensing process for hydropower because today developers must navigate a licensing process that can take more than six years, spanning multiple state and federal government agencies.

Click here to see how you can get involved with National Hydropower Day and don’t forget to use #HydroDay in social media. Be prepared for hydropower day by reading ClearPath’s Hydropower 101 or get the latest takes on pumped storage hydropower from FERC hydropower expert Tom Russo.
 

National Carbon Capture Center Attracting Big Players

Last week, Total became the newest sponsor of the US Department of Energy’s National Carbon Capture Center.The France-based company will join ExxonMobil as the second major oil and gas supporter of the center, along with other leading energy companies and nonprofit organizations (including ClearPath). The National Carbon Capture Center is a world-class research facility designed to help commercialize technologies that can filter emissions from industrial sources. Read more here.
 

RICH’S TAKE

“There are several major pieces of carbon capture legislation moving through Congress including the Launching Energy Advancement through Innovations in Natural Gas (LEADING Act) the Utilizing Significant Emissions with Innovative Technologies (USE IT) Act that will help put the real-world research happening at the National Carbon Capture Center to commercialization.

The LEADING Act takes a Manhattan project-style approach to carbon capture for natural gas. It streamlines the Department of Energy by dedicating resources to perfecting carbon capture technologies for natural gas power plants, an authorization the Department lacks today. It also encourages active public-private partnerships and establishes ambitious proof-of-concept project goals.The USE IT Act, along with the the 45Q incentive, has the potential to boost commercial carbon capture deployment in the U.S., which can lead to significant increases in enhanced oil recovery and other economic benefits.”

Read more about the LEADING Act and USE IT Act.
 

New Mexico Coal Plant Looking to Outfit with Carbon Capture Technology

City officials in the town of Farmington, New Mexico are aiming to keep the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station open by signing an agreement with Enchant Energy Corp. that proposes outfitting the plant with carbon-capture technology. The plant is currently planned for closure in 2022. Read more here.
 

NELA Runs Through Virginia

ClearPath joined The Virginia Nuclear Energy Consortium (VNEC) and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) at their Virginia is Nuclear Summit this week. The event brought together educators, appointed and elected officials from around the state, nuclear industry employees, and companies to discuss the state of the Commonwealth’s nuclear industry and opportunities for future innovation in nuclear power, defenses and research.

ClearPath representatives focused on the importance of the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act.

NELA is a priority for Virginia as the House bill’s sponsors include three from their delegation; U.S. Reps. Elaine Luria (VA-02), Denver Riggleman (VA-05), and Rob Wittman (VA-01).

Learn more about what NELA is and why it is worth closely tracking.
 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
 

POLITICO: Luntz: ‘I was wrong’ on climate change

POLITICO reported this week “[Frank] Luntz, who said he’s doing work for both Democrats and Republicans, urged Democrats to "personalize, individualize and humanize" the impacts of climate change to make it more relatable to the average person. He advised them to "jettison" language like describing the problem as a crisis in favor of phrases that motivate people to action.

"Focus on the consequences of inaction," he said. "The American people want to know the positive of this, not just the negative. Not just the fear, they want to know the benefit of focusing on it."
 

Jupiter Oxygen: Advanced Carbon Capture Technology for Coal Plants

Watch the latest ClearPath whiteboard video on the exciting advanced technology coming from Jupiter Oxygen, and why you should pay attention to the future of coal plants with carbon capture.
 

Rich Powell Named to Export Import Bank Advisory Board

Rich Powell, Executive Director of ClearPath was named to the The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) 2019 Advisory Committee. The EXIM Advisory Committee advises EXIM on its programs and financing to support American jobs through exports. The Advisory Committee is made up of professionals working in small business, agriculture, environment, finance, labor, services, and textiles, among others. Read more here
 

THE PATH AHEAD

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