ENERGY COMMUNITIES ALLIANCE
ECA to host HLW webinar tomorrow
ECA Staff | 2/22/2021
During her confirmation hearing, Secretary of Energy nominee Jennifer Granholm stated the Biden Administration will not be pursuing a permanent geologic repository for high-level waste (HLW) and spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at Yucca Mountain. Yet again the path forward is unclear.
ECA expects alternatives like consent-based siting, boreholes, and interim storage to be re-examined and is hosting a webinar, “Defense High Level Waste: Path Forward in the New Administration” on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 from 12:00 pm to 3:30 pm Eastern to review and consider how Congress and the new administration will address these waste streams.
Speakers include David Klaus from Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation, Dr. Matt Bowen from the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University/SIPA, and a discussion of priorities with local elected officials.
There is no fee to participate, but all attendees must register in advance. Click HERE for the registration site and additional information including the meeting agenda.
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ADVANCED REACTORS
Bill Gates talks nuclear development in interview
ECA Staff | 2/22/2021
In an interview with 60 Minutes, Bill Gates, founder of a nuclear reactor design company TerraPower, outlined the impending challenges climate change will pose in the next several decades. While Gates promoted renewables such as wind and solar, he noted that nuclear power has the current capacity to be stored, unlike solar or wind that need and depend on the natural elements to be present.
TerraPower is redesigning nuclear reactors to be cost efficient in construction and operation. The TerraPower reactor is being engineered to use liquid sodium–not water–to absorb more heat and reduce pressure inside the reactor. The Department of Energy (DOE) awarded TerraPower $80 million in initial funding to build advanced nuclear reactors in a cost-sharing partnership.
TerraPower’s nuclear reactor design, along with several others, offers the potential for the United States to become a leader in advanced reactor technology domestically and globally.
In response to increasing developments in the field of nuclear technologies, local communities are deeply invested in supporting these advancements. ECA communities (see nuclear initiative), who host or are adjacent to DOE facilities, have the tangible and intangible resources that can support new nuclear projects such as
location, workforce capabilities, and infrastructure. With the experience and existing relationships with DOE, local communities are well suited to contribute to advanced nuclear initiatives.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
DOE Leadership Tracker
ECA Staff | 2/22/2021
ECA staff will update this list regularly as nominees and confirmations are announced.
Under Secretary: No nominee
Under Secretary for Science and Energy: No nominee (acting is Kathleen Hogan)
Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs: No nominee (acting is Ali Nouri)
April 1, 2021 ECA Board of Directors Meeting; Virtual (closed to ECA members only)
Sept. 8-10, 2021 National Cleanup Workshop; Alexandria, VA
Read about DOE's High Level Waste Interpretation
Have questions about DOE’s recent high-level waste (HLW) interpretation? Download ECA’s Key Points and FAQs on the issue to better understand what ECA believes are the potential benefits of implementation.
Interested in learning more? Read the ECA report “Making Informed Decisions on DOE's Proposed High Level Waste Definition” at www.energyca.org/publications
Stay Current on Activities in the DOE World
Read the latest edition of the ECA Bulletin, a regular newsletter providing a detailed brief of ECA activities, legislative news, and major events from across the DOE complex. Have suggestions for future editions? Email bulletin@energyca.org.
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Learn More about Cleanup Sites with ECA's DOE Site Profiles
ECA's new site profiles detail DOE's 13 active Environmental Management cleanup sites and national laboratories, highlighting their history, missions, and priorities. The profiles are a key source for media, stakeholders, and the public to learn more about DOE site activities, contractors, advisory boards, and their surrounding local
governments.
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