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Conservatives have been vocal about our climate for years. Those voices won’t be ignored any longer.

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Brian Martucci writes in UtilityDive about states’ efforts to deploy advanced nuclear power.

The C3 Take
  • While the federal government is advancing important legislation for nuclear power, states are also ultimately leading the way.
  • In Wyoming, laws have made it easier to build nuclear power which has allowed TerraPower to begin construction on its next-generation Natrium reactor.
  • Virginia meanwhile passed several bills last year to invest in nuclear energy R&D and bolster the workforce.

“The Virginia Department of Energy’s Davis pointed to the recently announced Microsoft-Google-Nucor 24/7 clean electricity RFI as an opportunity for advanced nuclear power in southwestern Virginia, where a state-funded feasibility study last year identified seven promising SMR sites on or near decommissioned mine lands and the state-supported Energy DELTA Lab will ‘deploy innovative and clean energy technologies,’ including nuclear, that could support hyperscale data center and low-carbon hydrogen production clusters.”

Read the full article here.

As states increasingly look to advanced nuclear, Wyoming, Virginia and Michigan lead the way

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Benji Backer writes in Newsweek about the importance of including rural America in the climate conversation.

The C3 Take
  • The climate conversation can often be elitist and dismissive of rural America’s role in reducing emissions.
  • America’s farmers, ranchers, and landowners are on the front lines of climate change and are our nation’s best conservationists.
  • At the same time, rural communities are at risk of being left behind as some policymakers rush to close all mining and fossil fuel projects.
  • In order to meaningfully address climate change, the U.S. must empower and elevate rural America through policies that accelerate innovation and reduce barriers to conservation.

“The truth is that rural America is deeply connected to nature, far more so than their urban and suburban counterparts. Farmers, ranchers, and foresters have a personal stake in environmental protection because their livelihoods literally depend on it. With nature as their backyard, it’s also their means to relax and connect with their community. Over the past seven years, I visited hundreds of rural communities to find climate solutions. It became crystal clear that they are the most critical partner in our fight against climate change.”

Read the full article here.

In the Fight Against Climate Change, Don’t Forget Rural America

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Jordan McGillis writes in NikkeiAsia that Taiwan should rethink its policy on nuclear power.

The C3 Take
  • For years, Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has held control of the presidency and legislature and has successfully led the charge for shutting down of country’s nuclear power plants.
  • With Taiwan’s economy being heavily reliant on manufacturing and production, the closure of reliable and clean baseload power is a mistake.
  • With the election of President-elect Lai Ching-te, the DPP should rethink its stance on nuclear power to strengthen its national security, energy security, and economy.

“Some misguided environmental activists and old party hands who have not moved on from the 1980s might be alienated, but millions of voters who backed the KMT and TPP in January would be gratified if Lai showed his party recognizes how important energy abundance is for a thriving Taiwan. Lai hinted at the possibility of pivot a year ago when he suggested that the island’s nuclear plants could be kept available for emergency use, distancing himself slightly from Tsai.”

Read the full article here.

Taiwan’s Lai needs to rethink nuclear shutdown plan

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Power reports that clean energy companies are advocating for permitting reform.

The C3 Take
  • Nearly 200 solar and storage companies are urging Congress to reform the permitting process for energy projects in the U.S.
  • The group included recommendations to bring more projects online, which include creating project siting partnerships at all levels of government, fostering interagency cooperation, and building out transmission capacity.
  • Onerous regulations and permitting stifle innovation and hamstring American energy security.

“‘A lack of transmission capacity is the biggest barrier to the continued growth of the renewable industry,’ said David Mindham, director of regulatory affairs for EDP Renewables North America. ‘The proposed reforms will remove these barriers, creating thousands of new American manufacturing jobs and supporting local economies.'”

Read more here.

Clean-Energy Companies Urge Congress to Pass Siting, Permitting, and Transmission Reform

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Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) and Chris Barnard write in The Washington Times about conservative leadership on clean energy.

The C3 Take
  • Conservative-led states like Georgia and Texas are leading the nation in clean energy production.
  • Texas is the country’s leading renewable energy producer and Georgia recently brought online America’s first new nuclear power plant in 30 years.
  • Efficient regulations, lower tax burdens, and pro-growth policies are unleashing innovation in red states across the country.

“As vice chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus and Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials, I, Congressman Carter, have seen an increased appetite for innovative energy solutions from my fellow Republicans. We know that clean energy will be integral in growing American energy dominance and addressing the environmental challenges that our world faces. We can do this in an all-of-the-above way, without sacrificing the reliability and affordability that fossil fuel sources have given us for generations.”

Read the full article here.

Conservatives are leading the clean energy expansion

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Phred Dvorak of The Wall Street Journal reports on how salt caverns could store renewable energy.

The C3 Take
  • America’s underground salt caverns are being tapped as a potential solution for renewable energy storage.
  • The process works like this: renewable energy sources are used to create hydrogen which is then stored underground in salt caverns by a process called leaching.
  • The hydrogen is then tapped when needed for several processes such as transportation fuel and industrial decarbonization.

“Green Hydrogen International, a company planning a cavern project in South Texas, estimates it would take around 38,500 Tesla Megapacks—a type of battery popular for large-scale utility installations—at an estimated cost of $59 billion to store the amount of energy it is hoping to keep in its caverns, which it estimates will cost $150 million to make.”

Read the full article here.

The Push to Store Renewable Energy in Massive Salt Caverns

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Nuclear power is scoring some notable milestones. In Georgia, Vogtle 3 and 4 are finished, the first nuclear reactors to be built in the U.S. in some 30 years. On the world stage, leaders at COP28 vowed to triple global nuclear capacity. On Capitol Hill, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers, led by Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), has introduced sweeping reforms to the nation’s regulatory system to deploy more nuclear power production. Congressman Duncan recently joined Right Voices to discuss policies to unleash American nuclear power. 

While nuclear power is safe, clean, and reliable, antiquated laws and regulations have hindered its deployment. To address these challenges Rep. Duncan introduced the Atomic Energy Advancement Act. The AEAA, which recently passed the House of Representatives, includes several reforms to drive nuclear forward. These include modernizing the permitting process, directing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to consider the benefits of nuclear energy in its mission, and strengthening international competitiveness through trade and exports. 

>>>READ: Rep. Miller-Meeks Outlines Her Priorities for the Conservative Climate Caucus

Duncan called the AEAA “a multi-faceted, generational atomic energy bill” whose goal was to create a “nuclear leadership component for [the] nation to once again lean into the nuclear space,” before adding that lawmakers must do more to strengthen the supply chain of enriched uranium:

”One thing we have to address…is having a U.S. source, domestic source [of] enriched uranium fuel for nuclear power. We import too much enriched uranium from Russia and we should lessen our reliance on any adversary for something so critical to energy production like [enriched] uranium is. So trying to do that more domestically and stand up an enriched uranium manufacturing process in this country is important.”

The economy or the climate? Why not both?

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As the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, & Grid Security, Rep. Duncan has explored ways to diversify America’s current supply of enriched uranium. Recently the subcommittee held a hearing on ways to accelerate the recycling of spent nuclear fuel and chart a path toward creating a permanent fuel repository. 

>>>READ: Congress Considers the State of Nuclear Fuel Recycling and Management

In addition to chairing the Energy, Climate, & Grid Security subcommittee, Duncan was one of the original members of the Conservative Climate Caucus. Although he represents what he calls one of the most conservative districts in the U.S., joining the Climate Caucus was an obvious choice. “Whatever position you take on climate, we as conservatives should be able to approach it in a way that supports American energy, being cleaner, more affordable, and more reliable.”

The AEAA now sits in the Senate with the ADVANCE Act, which holds many similarities. Both chambers are hoping to reconcile the two bills to bring it to the president’s desk, where Rep. Duncan is confident it will be signed into law. Rep. Duncan’s leadership in the area could play a pivotal role in bringing the domestic nuclear industry forward.

Jeff Duncan Outlines Policies to Unleash American Nuclear Power

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For a lot of people on the center-right, the virtue signaling around Earth Day can be exhausting. No one cares more about land than landowners, and they don’t take a day off from caring. If all we do on Earth Day is think about that fact, it’s a successful Earth Day. 

>>>READ: The Power of Rootedness

Still, Earth Day is a good time to reflect on how our culture thinks about environmental stewardship and how we debate (or don’t debate) areas of disagreement. 

I have the honor of delivering the annual Earth Day homily at our local historic church. I think it’s wise for people of faith to realize that Earth Day itself has taken on a religious dimension and offer a response. The reality in our culture today isn’t that people are less religious, they’re just religious about other things.

The economy or the climate? Why not both?

Subscribe for ideas that support the environment and the people. 

Conservatives often reflexively critique the “climate religion,” and there are many serious flaws in the dogmatic degrowth left’s climate agenda. Yet, the sense of wonder normal people feel about nature is a natural and good thing, and an opportunity to find common ground.   

As I argued in this year’s homily, faith and science don’t need to be in conflict. Faith doesn’t compete with science; it completes science and gives us an understanding of reality and our place in it.

Instead of trying to “own” the other side, it’s more productive for the center-right to describe what it is for and then find areas of agreement we can explore solutions, which are always about tradeoffs. 

>>>READ: StrawFish: Putting A Unique Spin on Biodegradable Products

I think about this often where I live and have land. My farm is in a region in Maryland called Pleasant Valley and the views never get old. Every day I get to watch the sun set over Elk Ridge (which is near Harpers Ferry) and cast a shadow over South Mountain (home to the Appalachian Trail and a historic Civil War battle). Some nights I launch my drone to cheat the sunset. If I get a little elevation, I can see a “sunset rise” and watch the sun peak over the mountains. It’s a reminder that when we reach for higher ground, we find common ground and never lose the light.

Every Day is Earth Day

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Alexa St. John and Linley Sanders of the Associated Press report on polling about climate change.

The C3 Take
  • A new poll from AP-NORC found that 45% of American adults have become more concerned about climate change over the past year.
  • Despite the Biden administration’s messaging on the issue, a majority of Americans are not familiar with President Biden’s marquee piece of climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
  • The reason for this is that subsidies in the IRA have only benefited a privileged few and inflation and energy prices have remained high.
  • The most effective and popular climate policy will be those that reduce costs and unleash the private sector to innovate.

“But one of Biden’s major pitches for the IRA — that it will help the American economy and U.S. workers — doesn’t seem to be resonating. According to the poll, only about 2 in 10 Americans say the law has done more to help the U.S. economy, while about one-quarter think it’s done more to hurt the economy, and about half think it either made no difference or don’t know enough to say.”

Read more here.

Climate change concerns grow, but few think Biden’s climate law will help, an AP-NORC poll finds

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Alison F. Takemura of Canary Media reports on a new public-private program to deploy better heat pumps.

The C3 Take
  • The U.S. Department of Energy has launched a public-private program called the Commercial Building Heat Pump Accelerator to spur the development and deployment of more cost-effective and efficient cold-climate heat pumps for commercial buildings like stores, schools, offices, and hospitals.
  • The accelerator brings together major manufacturers like Carrier, Trane, and Lennox along with commercial partners like Amazon and Ikea to develop prototypes of advanced rooftop heat pump units, with a goal of getting new models to market as soon as 2027.
  • Widespread adoption of heat pumps in commercial buildings could reduce their carbon emissions and energy costs by up to 50% compared to fossil fuel systems, saving an estimated $5 billion in utility bills annually while helping meet national climate goals.

“Ten commercial partners have joined the accelerator, including retailers Amazon, Ikea, Target and Whole Foods, as well as the Los Angeles Unified School District. They’ve promised to be early adopters, and may well be test beds for heat-pump prototypes, though they haven’t yet made any firm commitments as to how many newly developed offerings they’ll purchase, Vargas told Canary Media.”

Read the full article here.

Better heat pumps for commercial buildings are coming soon

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