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1. Unleash American resource independence

Reducing dependence on resources, energy and critical minerals from places like China and Russia is clearly a shared, bipartisan goal.

What’s clear: Dependence leads to increased global emissions and handicaps American businesses.

Plug in: There are proposals being considered to unleash American energy  independence. 

Here are a few:

• Provide critical minerals projects in America faster permitting timelines to reduce reliance on imports from China and others with poor human rights records.
• Russia is the only country currently producing advanced nuclear fuel.
• We should incentivize American nuclear fuel production.
• Fast track decisions on American natural gas and hydrogen export facility permits to get our clean, and cleaner, fuels to global markets faster.

2. Hydropower’s staying power

  

Hydropower is among the most reliable forms of renewable energy, and while capacity has remained constant, innovations suggest we could tap more resources in the coming years.

What’s clear: Currently, we have about 102 GW of hydropower and pumped storage capacity, or enough to power more than 75 million homes in the United States. DOE’s HydroVision predicts the U.S. could add 50 GW of hydropower through 2050, including:

• 4.8 GW in retrofitting existing dams for hydropower
• 6.3 GW in upgrades on existing hydropower
• 35.5 GW of pumped storage hydropower

Plug in: In 2023, Duke Energy will upgrade its Bad Creek Hydro Station in Salem, South Carolina, adding 280 megawatts by implementing advancements in hydraulic design to increase the capacity of existing units without building new dams, reservoirs, or powerhouses.

More from the National Hydropower Association

3. Clear path for advanced nuclear licensing

 

In order for advanced nuclear reactors to play a huge role in America’s future energy mix, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will need to modernize its licensing process.

What’s clear: Without a larger share of nuclear power, goals to lower carbon dioxide emissions are less likely to succeed and will certainly be more expensive.

• All 93 existing reactors & the two under construction in the U.S. are large light water reactors.
• The NRC is using the same licensing review process designed for the current fleet for these next generation designs, leading to uncertainty and inefficiency.

Plug in: House Science & Tech Committee leaders Randy Weber (R-TX) and Frank Lucas (R-OK) are urging the NRC and DOE to improve the advanced reactor licensing process so the U.S. can strengthen energy independence, retain leadership in innovation, and mitigate the climate challenge. E&E has more.

4. A Calif. case study for modernizing permitting

 

When it comes to how energy projects are reviewed and permitted, “one generation’s solutions have become the next generation’s problems” according to this NYT column.

What’s clear: Clean energy and grid modernization present opportunities, but burdensome and outdated regulations may mean that new projects take five years on average to come online.

• We have to move faster by enacting common sense reforms.
• The NYT piece, “Government Is Flailing, in Part Because Liberals Hobbled It,” by Ezra Klein says that new problems to modernize our grid demand new solutions.

Plug in: We can protect the environment and speed up the process so it doesn’t take 5 years to site energy projects. Here are three easy places to start.

• Fast track low impact projects.
• Speed up reviews of essential projects.
• Limit legal action to under one year. 

 Read more in Rich Powell’s latest for Scientific American.

5. ICYMI

• Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions president Heather Reams wrote, Make America Energy Independent Again, in Real Clear Energy.