Investments in Clean Energy and Transportation Innovations in the Federal and Private Sectors

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing on the latest research and innovations in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable transportation. In particular, the briefing focused on the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) programs, from those covering vehicle technologies that leverage clean energy to those supporting grid-interactive efficient buildings. The briefing highlighted key proposed investments in the Biden-Harris Administration’s fiscal year 2024 budget request and partnerships between EERE, national laboratories, and the private sector to improve and deploy clean energy. 

Federal agency and private sector panelists discussed how investments in advanced technologies supported by the Department of Energy can drive decarbonization while building a clean energy workforce, advancing environmental justice, and keeping energy affordable.

Highlights

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is working toward a 100 percent decarbonized electric grid by 2035. The power, transportation, industry, and building sectors are becoming more interdependent as electrification progresses, creating the need for system-wide solutions. Government-funded research at the National Renewable Energy Lab boosts economic growth, drives U.S. innovation, and assists in the implementation of renewable power. Federal agencies, including DOE, the Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, announced the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Grand Challenge in 2021, with targets of replacing three billion gallons of petroleum jet fuel by 2030 and 35 billion gallons by 2050. Replacing 35 billion gallons represents a full replacement of petroleum-based jet fuel for the aviation sector in the United States. Siemens participates in the Department of Energy’s Better Climate Challenge, which provides peer connections and technical assistance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Alejandro Moreno, Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy

• The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is working toward a 100 percent decarbonized electric grid by 2035.
• EERE’s priorities are to continue innovative work on energy efficiency while keeping new technologies affordable in five major economic sectors: transportation, power, industry, buildings, and agriculture.
• Major focus areas in transportation include vehicle electrification, commercially viable hydrogen fuel cell trucks, and sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).
• EERE is currently working to develop floating platforms to support offshore wind turbines, an industry in which the United States has the opportunity to be a global leader.
• To continue to bring down the cost of solar energy, it is critical to increase the efficiency, durability, and longevity of solar cells.
• DOE’s partnership with the Department of Transportation will allow more efficient installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, including in heavy-duty charging corridors to prepare for the use of electric trucks and delivery vehicles.
• EERE analysis shows that the United States has enough available biomass to switch airline fuel from fossil fuels to renewable biofuels. Most major airlines have committed to achieving fossil fuel reductions as SAFs become more readily available.
• The Connected Communities program works to facilitate collaboration between local governments, utilities, and community stakeholders to increase electrification and the use of renewable energy.
• The power, transportation, industry, and building sectors are becoming more interdependent as electrification progresses, creating the need for system-wide solutions.
• As the power sector becomes more integrated, the United States cannot just take on individual technologies. It is important to recognize the context of the entire system and how DOE can support the communities, utilities, and other stakeholders that will use the new technologies.

 

Meyer Seligman, Director of Government Relations, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

• The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) works with private partners to transfer new technology developments to the market for commercial use.
• Government-funded research at NREL boosts economic growth, drives U.S. innovation, and assists in the implementation of renewable power.
• Partnerships across other DOE programs, local governments, the private sector, local communities, and academia is critical to the progression of renewable energy.

• NREL is supporting the development of a circular economy, with research on advanced materials and manufacturing methods to improve recycling and recovery.
• Offshore wind technologies that can operate in water deeper than 60 meters (200 feet) is an ongoing focus at NREL.
• NREL aims to assist the transition to sustainable aviation by developing the modeling tools, analysis methods, and testing capabilities to help aviation stakeholders create pathways towards sustainable fuels.
• The LA100 study was a collaboration between the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and NREL that developed a plan to modernize Los Angeles’s electricity infrastructure to achieve the city’s goal of 100 percent renewable energy supply.
• LA100 demonstrated the success of NREL working with communities to develop just energy transitions.

 

Steve Csonka, Executive Director, Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative

• The Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) is a public-private partnership that was established in 2006 to facilitate and promote the development and commercialization of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
• SAF presents the most viable technology approach to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from planes.
• Instead of drilling and using hydrocarbon molecules in the form of petroleum that must be refined, SAF relies on using hydrocarbon molecules from nature or using recycled materials.
• SAF is a drop-in jet fuel with equivalent safety, performance, and cost to their fossil fuel counterparts. Being drop-in means no changes to infrastructure equipment are required to use SAFs. These fuels also improve the environmental impact of aviation and provide security to the energy supply.
• SAF can be produced from municipal solid waste, forestry waste residues, wood processing waste, agricultural waste, waste food production oils, industrial off-gasses, and cellulosic crops. The future goal is to produce these fuels from hydrogen and carbon dioxide, but this requires ubiquitous renewable power and the availability of relatively clean water.
• SAF is becoming increasingly technically viable with seven approved processes and many more in development. There are several kinds of processes to convert different feedstocks (such as lipids, sugars, lignocellulose, hydrogen, and carbon sources) into fuel.
• The challenge for the aviation industry is that its growth rate exceeds its ability to improve fundamental efficiency, which has resulted in emissions growth.
• The aviation industry has committed to net-zero carbon growth from 2020 onward, which is required to meet international emission standards. The industry has also committed to reach net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.
• All of the U.S. airlines that belong to Airlines for America (A4A) have committed to net-zero carbon by 2050. Several of them have made more aggressive commitments such as net-zero carbon by 2040.
• Technologies such as hybridization, electrification, and fuel switching do not work across the entire industry. They will work well for modestly-sized planes, but not for larger aircraft.
• New technology is needed for large aircraft electrification, but the industry is currently behind on developing it. While the industry waits for this technology, CAAFI is focused on SAF that delivers at least a 50 percent reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions. Several fuels currently in production are near the 80 percent reduction level.
• In 2021, federal agencies, including DOE, the Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, announced the SAF Grand Challenge, with targets of replacing three billion gallons of petroleum jet fuel by 2030 and 35 billion gallons by 2050. Replacing 35 billion gallons represents a full replacement of petroleum-based jet fuel for the aviation sector in the United States. Business aviation has made similar commitments.
• Airlines have made five to 15-year offtake agreements (binding contracts to purchase a plant’s production) for at least the first seven SAF facilities.
• If the major SAF-producing companies do not stumble in production, there will be around 1.6 billion gallons of SAF in 2028. There are 180 companies that have not yet made commercial announcements but are working with CAAFI to produce SAF.
• SAF is able to be produced and used today because it has policy support, and the focus is on bringing down its cost. The work of DOE is key to tackling cost and revenue issues associated with the production of SAF. Multiple DOE offices, bioenergy research centers, and the National Labs are all collaborating to create the enabling conditions for the success of SAF.

 

Abby Campbell Singer, Head of Climate and Infrastructure Policy, Siemens USA

• The United States is Siemen’s largest market. Siemens continues to work with DOE and the National Labs to develop and deploy new technologies.
• Siemens takes an “ecosystem approach” in the United States, building strong partnerships with utilities, manufacturers, and developers to approach energy efficiency and climate technology.
• Siemens’s technologies have saved 3.6 billion in energy costs for customers since 2000.
• Siemens works within the United States to support an ecosystem of research and development.
• It is important that the United States maintain strong support for research and development to continue to meet U.S. goals and stay at the forefront of electrification and energy efficiency.
• Collaboration between small and large manufacturers will be crucial as production of energy efficiency technologies ramps up to ensure that market needs are met.
• Siemens participates in DOE’s Better Climate Challenge, which provides peer connections and technical assistance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• There is growing interest and investment in renewable technologies among communities and partners in the United States. As production ramps up, further workforce development support and continued research are needed.

 

Q&A

 

Q: How do the partnerships that develop renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable transportation build the workforce?

Moreno

• The clean energy transition has the potential to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, but in order for these jobs to materialize, we need a well-trained workforce that can effectively operate the energy system in the future.
• The federal government has resources to support development of the clean energy workforce. The solar decathlon, for example, serves as a recruiting hub on college campuses.
• DOE offers the Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship, which started in the solar sector and has since expanded. Fellows are placed in state regulator offices, small utilities, or other organizations that need technical expertise to work on specific projects for two years.

Seligman

• Within DOE, there are many opportunities for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and university partnerships. These opportunities highlight future collaboration and career development.
• Examples of these opportunities include the Graduate Education for Minority Students Fellowship and the Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce program.
• Collegiate competitions, fellowships, visiting faculty programs, and university partnerships are important for developing the workforce.

Csonka

• For every million gallons of SAF production, there are between one and three direct jobs. There are typically even more indirect jobs and induced jobs.
• The majority of SAF production will occur where the feedstocks are, which means a majority of the jobs will be in rural areas.
• Many new companies planning for SAF production are using bioeconomy development opportunity zones, which are in areas that are economically challenged.
• When SAF companies begin to look for employees, they offer workforce development activities with technical colleges, local colleges, and high schools.

Singer

• There are currently 2,000 positions open at Siemens across the United States.
• As a company, Siemens is looking to provide training internally for movement and advancement in different fields.
• Facilities and jobs in the renewable energy field need to be equitably distributed across the country.
• There needs to be training available to all people to empower them with the new technologies in the field.

 

Q: How can the public sector ensure that investments in clean energy are deployed equitably?

Moreno

• The Justice40 Initiative is a commitment by the Biden-Harris Administration to make sure that 40 percent of the benefits of public investments in climate action go to disadvantaged communities.
• The energy transition and its technologies must work on the ground for people and meet the needs that they have. These technologies make the environment cleaner and also provide the opportunity to make people’s everyday lives better in a fair way.
• Renewables can be—and already are in some places—the cheapest option for electricity.
• When the build-out of renewable energy—spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169)—is realized, the result will be a reduction in the cost of bulk power by $50 to $100 billion. This will allow consumers to save money.
• Energy burdens and gasoline purchases disproportionately affect disadvantaged communities. The proliferation of electric vehicles and the increased focus on energy efficiency can address this.
• The DOE is explicitly working on ensuring equitable access to clean energy technologies. For example, the National Community Solar Partnership is focused on ensuring that solar energy is also accessible to people who rent, and not just people who own their homes.
• The DOE’s work and funding opportunities contain provisions to ensure that partnerships and awardees represent all of the United States.

Seligman

• Energy equity is and has been central to NREL’s work for decades.
• NREL has a presence in 48 states and is working with communities domestically and internationally.
• Diversity and equity are integrated throughout NREL’s work, from the innovation process to technology development, to make a community-driven energy transition possible.
• All of the NREL tools that are sponsored by the DOE are free, publicly available, and complemented by user guides.
• NREL has a range of analytical tools that have supported community needs and engagement.

Csonka

• Pursuing the production of SAF addresses greenhouse gas emissions and has additional benefits. When SAF is burned, it burns cleaner than petroleum-based jet fuels and so improves the air quality at airports for surrounding communities.
• There are benefits associated with feedstock production for SAF, including reductions in pollutants such as pesticides, improvement in water quality, and the promotion of year-round cover crops.

Singer

• Electric vehicles do not just reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also put battery assets in homes that can be used in times where there are resilience challenges.
• With the funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, there are tremendous opportunities for investment in clean energy in a variety of communities. But there is additional work to be done so that when these systems or technologies come into a community, they benefit all of the community.
• Siemens is considering how individuals, businesses, and communities that do not have access to capital can benefit from investments in these technologies.

 

Q: How might the 2023 Farm Bill include sustainable aviation fuels, and what opportunities for clean energy exist in rural areas?

Csonka

• If the plan is to produce SAF feedstocks from biosources, then there must be the biodevelopment that goes along with it.
• There are a multitude of opportunities out there to get assistance from the Farm Bill and create a new agricultural industrial complex.

Singer

• Rural energy programs are critical, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is working with rural utilities on transmission and generation as they bring on new technologies to decarbonize.
• The work being done with rural energy programs is innovative and community-driven.

Seligman

• The DOE funds the Clean Energy to Communities program and also funds programs addressing resilience in rural communities. These resilience efforts include the Energy Transition Initiative, roadmaps for resilience, strategic energy planning, and data modeling and visualization activities.

 

Q: How are artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced computing being used to address climate change?

Moreno

• AI may potentially optimize the aggregation and dispatch of many different behind-the-meter resources like rooftop solar.
• Advanced computing is essential in many laboratories.
• Replicating performance and testing data for battery storage can be performed by advanced computing, and such processes would allow the data to be extrapolated out to avoid years of testing.

Seligman

• NREL hosts EERE’s supercomputer on site in Colorado.
• There are studies and analyses that have been done on how AI and machine learning may assist many different clean energy areas.
• Super computing assets assist in translating data into an interpretable format.

Csonka

• Autonomous crop monitoring is a developing field, including sensing systems that can be used to monitor the health of crops and conduct selective application of minerals to areas of cropland.

 

Compiled by Lynlee Derrick and Isabella Millet and edited for clarity and length. This is not a transcript