DOE LAUNCHES INITIATIVE FOR CLEAN HYDROGEN
On June 7, 2021, US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm launched the US Department of Energy’s Energy Earthshot Initiative (DOE) and called for “all-hands-on-deck to innovate, collaborate and accelerate our clean energy economy”. The Energy Earthshots Initiative will seek to address technological and financial challenges to achieve the Biden Administration’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and these efforts will be carried out in the science and applied energy offices of the DOE and the Advanced Research Projects Agency- Coordinate Energy.
The Hydrogen Shot is the first project of the Energy Earthshots Initiative. The Hydrogen Shot is expected to cut the cost of clean hydrogen from $ 5 per kilogram to $ 1 per kilogram in 10 years. The Hydrogen Shot also creates a framework for the clean use of hydrogen. Foreign Minister Granholm called clean hydrogen a “game changer” that “will contribute to the decarbonization of the heavily polluting heavy haulage and industrial sectors while creating well-paid jobs in the clean energy sector”.
As part of the launch, the DOE issued a request for information to receive public contributions in support of Hydrogen Shot. The information gathered will help the DOE define the scope and priorities of the initiative and determine viable hydrogen demonstrations, including specific locations that can help lower the cost of hydrogen, reduce CO2 emissions and local air pollution, well-paid To create jobs and offer benefits to disadvantaged communities. Responses are due July 7, 2021 by 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
SMALL MODULAR REACTORS COULD PLAY A BIG ROLE IN THE ENERGY TRANSFORMATION OF THE WASHINGTON STATE
In April, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a division of the DOE, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology released a report stating that Washington is uniquely positioned to be an early adopter of small modular nuclear reactor technology and that small modular reactors are helping Could That The State’s Short-Term Electricity Gap. Washington, like many other states, has mandated that its power sources must generate electricity without emitting greenhouse gases by a certain date. In Washington’s case, that deadline is 2045. To achieve this goal, Washington is putting off coal and natural gas production, which currently account for about 17 percent of Washington’s energy production. This exit could lead to a power outage.
The report describes how small, state-of-the-art nuclear reactors could fill this energy gap and meet the dynamic power needs of the Pacific Northwest. The report notes that Washington is in a unique position to adopt the new technology as it already has an existing trained workforce, infrastructure, and locations that could be converted to small modular reactor generation plants. In particular, the report assesses the feasibility of deploying the reactors at three locations: the Hanford location using the infrastructure of three of Energy Northwest’s partially completed power plants; Centralia Big Hanaford Power Station; and on the Idaho National Laboratory website.
Small modular reactors are an innovative, CO2-neutral form of nuclear power generation. The main advantage of small nuclear reactors is that the components can be manufactured and assembled off-site, then shipped and installed on site, resulting in significant cost savings. Advanced small modular reactors are also flexible and can operate continuously at full power to provide reliable base load power, or can follow power fluctuations in the grid. In addition, the report finds that with the increase in clean energy subsidies and penalties for carbon emitting resources in many states, small modular reactors are well positioned to provide competitive-priced electricity in the future.
THE BUSINESS NETWORK FOR OFFSHORE WIND RELEASES GUIDE TO POSSIBILITIES IN FLOATING OFFSHORE WIND DEPLOYMENT
On June 8th, the Business Network for Offshore Wind published its Offshore Wind Policy Brief: The US Opportunity in Floating Offshore Wind. The report provides an overview of the current policy for floating offshore wind energy and provides recommendations for states considering developing offshore wind energy. Floating offshore wind power enables developers to place resources in water depths greater than 60 meters. With more than 58 percent of the US offshore wind potential in deep sea areas, floating offshore wind resources can accelerate large-scale deployment of offshore wind turbines by 2030 in light of the Biden administration’s call for 30 gigawatts of offshore wind.
The paper identifies five major regions for floating offshore wind opportunities, including: (1) the west coast (including California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii); (2) the east coast (including Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina); (3) the Gulf of Maine; (4) the Gulf of Mexico; and (5) the Great Lakes.
The paper concludes by stating that offshore wind is strongly driven by the leadership of the state government. In order to achieve their goals, states should adopt technology-specific procurement mechanisms as soon as possible. The paper also recommends that state governments focus on repurposing existing infrastructures such as offshore oil and gas facilities, growing existing local businesses to “equity” supply chains, and promoting the commercialization of floating wind technology.
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE PROMOTES CLEAN ENERGY FOR AMERICA LAW ON TARGETING CLEAN ENERGY AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES
On May 26, the Senate Finance Committee passed the Clean Energy for America Act (CEAA). For clean energy projects commissioned after December 31, 2022, the CEAA would make the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and Investment Tax Credit (ITC) technology neutral, and eligibility would depend on whether the facility’s CO2 emissions are at or below Zero for generated. lie electricity. Taxpayers would have the option to choose either the PTC or the ITC, and the credits would be converted into refundable for taxpayers who inform the Treasury Department of their choice before they operate the facility. The CEAA would extend the availability of the entire ITC to stand-alone energy storage, transmission investments of more than 275 kilovolts and microgrids. Facilities in disadvantaged communities would qualify for a 40 percent ITC. PTC and ITC would increase 10 percent for new technology or facilities that use domestically manufactured materials. For systems with more than 1 megawatt, all work must be done at the applicable wage rates. The credits would expire as soon as the electricity sector reduced CO2 emissions by 75 percent over a five-year period from current levels.
For the purchase of electric vehicles, the CEAA would lift the limit of 200,000 vehicles sold per manufacturer and impose a new phase-out that would begin as soon as 50 percent of all vehicles sold are electric. The incentive would also be converted into a repayable loan. For vehicles purchased after December 31, 2021, the incentive amount would be increased from a maximum of $ 7,500 per vehicle to $ 2,500 if the vehicle is domestically manufactured or the manufacturer employs union work for a possible total credit of $ 12,500. The CEAA would set a new price cap for eligible vehicles of $ 80,000. Commercial operators would receive a non-refundable credit of 30 percent for the purchase of electric vehicles.
The CEAA would also likely scrap loans available for increased oil exploration projects and other tax incentives available for fossil fuel-related activities. Other provisions of the CEAA would relate to energy efficiency for new and existing buildings, carbon sequestration credits and bonds for direct air capture, clean fuel production and clean hydrogen.
CALIFORNIAN WATERS OPEN TO OFFSHORE WIND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE NATION
On May 25, Home Secretary Deb Haaland, Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl, White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, and California Governor Gavin Newsom announced an agreement between the federal government and the state of California to develop large oceans for the first time in US history off the California coast for offshore wind development.
The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has proposed developing a 399 square mile base off the central California coast, northwest of Morro Bay. This first plan has the potential to generate 4.6 gigawatts of clean electricity that could power up to 1.6 million homes over the next decade. The Ministry of the Interior has announced that it will initiate a leasing process for this area at the beginning of 2022.
This announcement is part of the Biden administration’s broader strategy to deliver 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030. It also follows the Biden administration’s approval of the first major offshore wind project in the United States off the coast of Massachusetts.
Co-authored by Maeve C. Tibbetts, Oretha A. Manu
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