Chairman Murkowski Introduces Key Geothermal Legislation - The Advanced Geothermal Innovation Leadership Act of 2019 (AGILE)

Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., introduced bipartisan legislation to accelerate geothermal energy development in the United States this week. The Advanced Geothermal Innovation Leadership Act of 2019 (the “AGILE” Act) will expand the Department of Energy’s geothermal R&D programs and reassesses the potential of U.S. geothermal energy development.

Creates Public Private Partnerships
AGILE will initiate an oil and gas knowledge transfer across the DOE while working in collaboration with the private sector to improve and demonstrate geothermal energy with advanced oil and gas technologies from horizontal drilling to advanced drill bits. These technologies have the potential to be used in geothermal to truly catalyze its development in areas once thought untappable.

Authorizes a Competition Prize
The AGILE act will create a subprogram focused on secondary uses, or ways we can fully utilize geothermal resources from minerals recovery, desalination, and industrial applications. Minerals recovery has the potential to play a significant role in producing lithium, silica, and rare earth elements, limiting our demand for these materials from other nations. This will include a prize competition to help reduce cost and environmental concerns.

Opens New Testing Centers
AGILE highlights enhanced geothermal system (EGS) research and development by continuing support of the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) and expanding publicly operated field research site to two sites meant to test, develop, and enhance the technology for EGS. The FORGE sites will eventually be transferred to the private sector, furthering R&D to advance EGS collaboration and development.

Develops Demonstration Projects
Additionally, AGILE requires a minimum of four demonstration projects in locations that will result in commercial viability of enhanced geothermal systems. The demonstrations are expected to be applied in a variety of geologic conditions and with multiple drilling techniques to truly develop EGS as much as possible.

Streamlines Commercial Development
Not only will AGILE help geothermal R&D take off, it is expected to help improve federal geothermal permitting to improve coordination and reduce regulatory timelines - streamlining geothermal energy projects on federal land.

Click here for the bill text. Click here for the “Section-by-section”.

RICH’S TAKE

“Geothermal energy is a flexible and reliable clean energy resource with immense untapped potential. A recent Department of Energy report indicated there is enough geothermal resources in the United States to produce electricity for half of the country. Advanced techniques are capable of tapping into additional resources in cooler rock or regions without water. These techniques will allow us to tap into resources originally thought to be impossible - nearly everywhere in the US. The AGILE Act has the potential to play a crucial role in a clean energy economy. The expansion of baseload clean and zero emissions energy resources will be necessary to help reduce global carbon emissions. Geothermal resources will greatly benefit through the AGILE Act, through robust research and development across the entire economy, ranging from industrial applications to new enhanced geothermal electric power resources.”

See ClearPath Action’s full letter of support here.

DRILL DOWN

Want to drill down and learn more about Geothermal? Check out these resources:

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) engaged in a multiyear research collaboration among national laboratories, industry, and academia to examine the potential for geothermal resources to play a key role in the nation’s energy future. Drill down into the GeoVision analysis.

Launching this week, a new video by ClearPath explains how geothermal is one of the only renewable resources that is available 24/7- 365. Advanced geothermal has huge potential, things are really heating up in this area (pun intended). Learn more about FERVO energy and how this exciting new technology is innovating the way we think about geothermal energy with this video.

ClearPath’s policy team outlines Geothermal as well as other Clean Energy Hidden Gems in this blog.

ClearPath, DOE Office of Nuclear Energy Lunch & Learn

ClearPath and the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy hosted an Atomic Wings lunch and learn on Capitol Hill “Versatile Test Reactor: The Importance of Accelerating Nuclear Advanced Fuels & Materials in the United States” this week. The event featured Members of Congress and industry experts and continues the series of educational lunches on nuclear energy. ClearPath’s Rich Powell moderated a panel with Timothy Frazier from GE Hitachi, Jeff Navin from TerraPower, and Thomas J. O’Connor, Versatile Test Reactor Program Director, DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy.

Want to learn more about innovation and how the Versatile Test Reactor will be a game changer? Check out this blog explanation by the ClearPath policy team.

NELA Gets Push From Leading Voices

More than 20 organizations from industry and environmental groups, labor unions, and nuclear energy innovators sent a letter urging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to promptly consider and pass the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (S. 903 and H.R. 3306). Read the letter here.

“As the United States faces critical environmental and national security challenges, including climate change and the rapid development of new nuclear energy capabilities in Russia and China, NELA would help reestablish the United States as a global leader in the next generation of emissions-free nuclear energy,” the letter stated.

In June, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed NELA (S. 903), which has 20 bipartisan cosponsors, out of committee. NELA (H.R. 3306) was introduced in the House by U.S. Reps. Elaine Luria (VA-02) and Denver Riggleman (VA-05) and has 12 bipartisan cosponsors.

Watch this video to learn more about NELA: “What Is NELA And Why It Is Worth Closely Tracking”.

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THE PATH AHEAD

October 28: Save the Date - A Conversation With Senator Lisa Murkowski. EPIC and the Becker Friedman Institute will host Sen. Lisa Murkowski, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, for a special conversation with Michael Greenstone. For more information or to register click here

October 30: 9-10am - Join the Center for Strategic & International Studies as they host a conversation with Senators Murkowski and Manchin. The conversation will focus on the opportunities and challenges of harnessing U.S. energy resources to foster economic growth and innovation for U.S. businesses, workers, and communities. For more information click here

October 30: 1030am - The House Committee on Energy & Commerce will hold a hearing on “Building a 100 Percent Clean Economy: Solutions for the U.S. Power Sector” For more information click here

October 31: 10-1130am - The Bipartisan Policy Center is hosting a panel discussion on “Scaling Carbon Removal from Public Innovation to Commercial Opportunity.” Information will be shared on reducing the risks of climate change, by offering pathways for managing emissions from difficult-to-decarbonize sectors and taking back legacy emissions. Click here to register