WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: Good afternoon readers, we hope you are having a lovely Tuesday. In today’s edition of Daily on Energy, Callie and Maydeen take a look at all things nuclear and include a breakdown of all the recent deals backing the energy source.
There are several major updates in the green energy space, from electric buses being fitted with solar panels in order to boost local grids to investments in offshore wind from the Biden administration. Interested in updates regarding electric vehicles? Keep reading to find out what state might have a lithium reserve large enough to meet global demand for EV batteries nine times over. Plus, the Department of Energy has announced more than $400 million to boost domestic battery manufacturing.
In today’s election countdown, we take a look at Rhode Island, which is one of several states with climate policy on the ballot come November.
Welcome to Daily on Energy, written by Washington Examiner energy and environment writers Callie Patteson (@CalliePatteson) and Maydeen Merino (@MaydeenMerino). Email cpatteson@washingtonexaminer dot com or mmerino@washingtonexaminer dot com for tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email, and we’ll add you to our list.
THE YEAR NUCLEAR GOT ‘REAL’: Nuclear power has seen a revival throughout 2024, thanks in large part to soaring energy demand from the tech sector. At least two retired plants are set to come back online, one nuclear facility has been saved from closing, and around half a dozen deals have been made for new generation.
Criticized over waste, risk of accidents, and its environmental impact, nuclear energy generation has tended to decline in past decades. However, more recently, support for nuclear energy has risen in tandem with fears about the reliability and stability of the nuclear grid, as artificial intelligence data centers, electrification, and manufacturing developments have caused energy demand to soar.
“It’s no longer a question of if there’s going to be new nuclear, right?” Craig Piercy, CEO of the American Nuclear Society, told the Washington Examiner. “The question is how much and how fast.”
In a new nuclear rundown, Callie breaks down all the recently announced deals backing the clean power source outside and within the tech industry. Read more here.
INSIDE THREE MILE ISLAND: Microsoft made headlines late last month when it announced it was entering a purchase agreement with Constellation Energy to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear facility, the site of the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history. More than a month later, Reuters got a look inside.
The details: Three Mile Island has remained closed since 2019, when the plant’s second reactor was shut down. Reuters toured the facility last week and reported that the concrete plant remains surrounded by barbed wire while grass has sprouted within the bases of the cooling towers, where wildlife roams. Armed guard stations and the towers themselves have been left empty.
“It’s still eerie walking in here, and it’s just, quiet,” Constellation regulatory assurance manager Craig Smith told the outlet.
Before starting the plant, Constellation Energy will need to refurbish the towers, bases, and surrounding buildings with modern equipment, lighting, and other materials. Most of the analogue control room, installed in the early 1970s, is expected to remain untouched.
BOOSTING NUCLEAR IN SOUTHEAST ASIA: U.S. officials are reportedly discussing deploying small modular nuclear reactors in Southeast Asia as more nations have expressed support for the clean energy source.
The details: The Department of Energy’s assistant secretary of energy for international affairs, Andrew Light, said Tuesday that the U.S. is in talks with the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand on deploying SMRs, according to a Bloomberg report. In these discussions, the U.S. is reportedly providing “a government-to-government discussion on what is the current array” of the small reactors, Light said.
Southeast Asia is slowly warming up to nuclear energy, with the Philippines reportedly looking to have its first nuclear power plant online by 2032. Light reportedly said Singapore is considering building a modular reactor while Thailand is looking to review its agreement with the US regarding sharing non-weapon nuclear equipment.
A reminder: Compared to larger nuclear facilities, SMRs are known to have a smaller physical footprint, which allows the reactors to be built closer to local grids. SMRs also historically take less time to build, allowing the facilities to come online and supply energy sooner. At the moment, there are no SMRs operational in the U.S., and only three are operational in the world.
DOE NEW FUNDING TOWARD EXPANDING BATTERY MANUFACTURING: The Department of Energy announced it will spend $428 million toward new battery manufacturing and recycling facilities in places where coal plants and mines have closed.
The details: The funding will go toward 14 projects in 15 different communities in states like Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Texas. One of the projects includes a facility in Louisville, Kentucky, that will produce lithium-ion battery cells for electric vehicles, defense applications, and consumer electronics.
Funding for these projects are from the DOE’s Advanced Energy, Manufacturing, and Recycling Grants program. This is the program’s second round of funding, which is designed to help build facilities to produce or recycle clean energy products in areas where coal plants or mines have closed.
Read more from Maydeen here.
MASSIVE LITHIUM FIND: New research suggests that Arkansas may be home to upwards of 19 million tons of lithium reserves, which would give the United States an opportunity to lead in the electric vehicle industry.
The details: The United States Geological Survey unveiled the findings on Monday, saying that if the suspected lithium can be recovered, it would meet the projected 2030 global demand for rechargeable EV batteries nine times over.
Researchers discovered the massive potential lithium reserve beneath southwestern Arkansas in the Smackover Formation. The study estimates that the formation could have between five and 19 million tons of lithium reserves. The U.S. presently imports more than 25% of its lithium used in car batteries, cellphones, and other popular electronics.
Why this matters: Australia and Chile are considered to be the top producers of lithium in the world. China, which closely follows in third, dominates in processing lithium for use in batteries for EVs. In recent months, the U.S. has sought to end its reliance on Chinese lithium-ion batteries, increasing tariff rates on EVs to 100% and recently investing more than $400 million to expand domestic battery manufacturing. If the lithium in Arkansas can be recovered, it would likely weaken China’s monopoly on the EV market.
Read more from Callie here.
SOLAR-POWERED BUSES TO BOOST GRID: New York City is outfitting around a dozen electric school buses in Brooklyn with rooftop solar panels in an effort to support growing electricity demand in the city with clean energy.
The details: Utility company Con Edison and school bus operator First Student are using vehicle-to-grid technology for the school buses in New York to help generate additional energy that can be pumped into the grid, according to Axios.
When the buses are idle and parked (particularly during the summer time), the solar panels will collect and store extra energy that can then be sold back to utility companies during high periods of demand, such as power outages.
Con Edison will be creating a smart energy hub through the solar panels and a 500 kilowatt solar array on a rooftop of Brooklyn depot facility. This hub will reportedly feature a two-megawatt battery that will store and discharge the energy collected.
Twelve electric school buses will have the solar panels installed, with four buses already in operation, according to Axios. The remaining buses are expected to be equipped with the panels and on the road by the start of the school year next year.
ICYMI – DOE AND DOI FUND NEW OFFSHORE PROJECTS: The Department of Energy and Interior announced Monday 14 new projects relating to offshore wind energy and marine energy deployment, totaling $17 million in spending.
The details: Half of the projects include research into floating offshore wind and marine energy systems. DOE said there is potential for offshore wind energy in sea waters that are too deep for wind turbines that are secured to the sea floor, meaning that floating platforms would be required. The other projects will go toward research to reduce noise generation during installation of fixed-bottom offshore wind energy foundations.
ELECTION COUNTDOWN – RHODE ISLAND’S QUESTION 4: On this year’s ballot, residents of Rhode Island will vote on Question 4, the Environmental and Recreational Infrastructure Bond Measure, also known as the “Green Bond.” The measure would issue $53 million in bonds for environmental-related infrastructure, local recreation projects, and land preservation.
It would fund projects like flood prevention, coastal habitat resiliency, and more. The RI Port Coalition is one of the measure’s main supporters as it would provide $15 million to expand the Port of Davisville and its ability to support offshore wind.
“With more offshore wind support and service vessels calling on Davisville than ever before, expanding the port’s infrastructure is essential to meeting Rhode Island’s climate and clean energy goals,” the coalition stated.
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee is also in support of the measure.
“At the heart of the $53 million bond is our commitment to protecting our environment, growing our green economy, and enhancing the quality of life for us Rhode Islanders,” McKee said.
RUNDOWN
New York Times Russia’s Warming Arctic Is a Climate Threat. War Has Shut Scientists Out of It.
Bloomberg Record-Breaking Temperatures Mask a Subtler Threat: Chronic Heat
Associated Press On Lake Erie, getting rid of problem algae starts with giving it less food