Archives from September 13, 2022

DOE awarding $540 million to ramp up clean energy research

At-a-Glance: 

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced it will grant 54 universities and 11 national labs over $500 million to conduct research on clean energy technologies and low-carbon manufacturing, ranging from direct air capture to carbon storage and sequestration. The move comes on the heels of the passage of President Biden’s historic Inflation Reduction Act, which aims to significantly cut emissions by 2030. By 2050, Biden hopes to have a net-zero emissions economy. Read more in DOE awarding $540 million to ramp up clean energy research.

Key Takeaways:

  • “Meeting the Biden-Harris Administration’s ambitious climate and clean energy goals will require a game-changing commitment to clean energy — and that begins with researchers across the country,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm in a statement. 
  • Carbon dioxide emissions resulting from fossil fuel use are a significant driver of climate change.
  • A large portion of the money, $400 million, will go towards establishing and maintaining 43 Energy Frontier Research Centers, while these projects will study multiple topics including energy storage and quantum information science. 

Path to 100% Perspective

This is a great commitment by the U.S. federal government to influence positive change. While many of the tools for decarbonization already exist, there are problems to overcome like how to create long-term energy storage. There is promise in Power-to-X technology, a carbon-neutral solution that uses renewable energy to produce green hydrogen and other future fuels that can be used for affordable long-term storage. It is exciting to see the outcome of the vast research resources now committed to this effort.

 

 

 

Three Wärtsilä executives headline ACERA renewable energy & storage event in Chile

Three Wärtsilä executives are the featured speakers at an exclusive Chilean Association of Renewable Energies and Storage (ACERA) event in Chile on September 14.

Jussi Heikinnen, Director Growth and Development, Silvia Zummaraga, Market Development Manager, and Alejandro McDonough, Managing Director, will present details and recommendations from Wärtsilä Energy’s Front-Loading Net Zero report. The report uses detailed modeling by Wärtsilä to outline the most realistic and optimal paths to 100% renewable energy in several key regions.

This event will focus on the report’s findings in Chile, a country with extraordinary renewable resources and an ambitious plan to close coal plants by 2030 as part of its ambition goal to decarbonize electricity by 2050. The Front-Loading Net Zero report outlines an economically viable way to decarbonize Chilean electricity by 2032 and allow Chile to become the first country in the world to achieve carbon neutrality in the electricity sector.

Part of Chile’s decarbonization strategy includes using its abundant renewable energy resources to produce green hydrogen, a carbon-free fuel that can be used in power plants and one that can easily be stored and transported. The panel will discuss how Chile can align power system development with its national hydrogen strategy to create a cost-efficient power system that will ensure better security of supply in any weather.

Chile is also the subject of a Wärtsilä whitepaper.

The in-person event is scheduled for Wednesday, September 14 at 9:00 a.m. ET/8:00 a.m. CT in Las Condes, Chile, and is exclusive to ACERA members.