This week, Americans around the country are marking National Clean Energy Week (NCEW), an annual celebration to honor the progress we’ve made to deploy newer, cleaner technologies while maintaining our economic growth. The event brings together associations, businesses and industry advocates to showcase innovation and discuss commonsense clean energy solutions.
All week long, there is a series of events featuring a number of high-profile public officials, energy experts and advocates from both sides of the aisle.
These events complement GEI’s EnergyInnovates initiative, a program dedicated to putting a spotlight on the ingenuity behind America’s ongoing energy revolution, especially the investments being made to find new and better ways to produce, transmit, and use energy. GEI is highlighting innovative projects and technologies, as well as the forward thinkers, engineers and manufacturers responsible for their development.
Since our debut of EnergyInnovates last year, we have highlighted additional projects that showcase American ingenuity. NuScale Power has designed a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) that has a simplified design making it safe, scalable and cost efficient all while meeting expanding energy needs. Their reactor has a wide range of applications – it can desalinate water, support renewables resources, provide highly reliable power or serve as emissions-free baseload power. This technology has global ramifications; specifically, the potential to provide clean water and electricity, reliably and affordably, for those who need it.
Smart energy solutions like NET Power’s innovative power plant leverages technology designed to capture carbon dioxide emissions at no extra cost, before compressing and recirculating the gas into the system. Called the Allam Cycle after its inventor, Rodney Allam, the system was first successfully tested in May 2018 and will allow efficient, zero-emission energy production – using fossil fuels – when brought to market. NET Power’s ability to reduce the environmental footprint that is often associated with power plants holds the potential to completely revolutionize how we power the world.
We also visited Escondido, CA to see the largest battery storage facility in North America, owned by San Diego Gas and Electric, a Sempra Energy Utility. SDG&E is able to harness the considerable renewable energy resources in its service territory to provide power when it is needed most.
These projects highlight a pattern of technical innovation and economic growth in the U.S. energy sector. Employment in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors both continue to grow. These two industries work together to support our nation’s vast energy demands and drive economic growth – natural gas and renewables are not mutually exclusive, but rather naturally complementary.
The American energy sector continues to drive innovation and technological advancement and, ultimately, economic growth. National Clean Energy Week showcases the U.S. energy leadership and how we it will continue to make the American economy Cleaner and Stronger for years to come. Here are some more clean energy facts to keep in mind this week. Did you know…
- Since 1990, methane emissions from oil and gas systems and coal mines have declined by 22%, while the U.S. population and economy have grown by 30% and 91%, respectively.
- The share of natural gas as a fuel for power generation has grown from 19% in 2005 to 35% in 2018.
- Nuclear energy supplies 19% of all U.S. electricity, 54% of our emissions-free power, and represents a crucial part of America’s energy mix.
- Air quality in major U.S. cities is significantly better than most other major cities in Europe, Asia, and around the world.
For more information on the dramatic air quality progress being made across the energy, manufacturing, transportation, and electricity sectors, click here.