Energy and Water Appropriators Examine Manufacturing and Clean Energy
Energy and Water Appropriators Examine Manufacturing and Clean Energy
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development held a hearing last week on Domestic Manufacturing for a Clean Energy Future. The Committee examined how new energy technologies are being developed and deployed in response to climate change and how to ensure that U.S. manufacturers can remain competitive as the clean energy sector continues to expand globally and other industries develop solutions to adapt to climate change.
Energy and Water Subcommittee Chair Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) opened the hearing, emphasizing the link between climate change innovation and job creation, noting, “technologies and innovations are already helping address climate change. They have led to widespread deployment, consumer savings, and good-paying jobs. For example, solar installations in 2020 set a new record, and there’s now enough solar to power 17.7 million American homes.”
The committee received testimony on new energy technologies such as new wastewater heat exchange systems and updates on the Department of Energy’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies programs, and how deployment of these technologies can be financed and incentivized efficiently.
Former ASME Fellow Dr. Tom Kurfess, now Chief Manufacturing Officer and Interim Director of the Manufacturing Science Division at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), presented testimony on what the DOE’s national labs are doing to develop, demonstrate, and deploy solutions for domestic manufacturers to support a clean energy future. Dr. Kurfess highlighted in his testimony how ORNL is accelerating clean energy innovation throughout the U.S. manufacturing ecosystem, with examples including energy efficient green manufacturing, innovation in advanced batteries, and graphene production.
“Many technology options to decarbonize the U.S. industrial sector are expensive or nonexistent,” stated Kurfess. “To address this issue, ORNL will leverage core manufacturing capabilities to develop, demonstrate, and deploy new or existing solutions. The development of advanced heat exchangers for carbon capture utilizing large-scale additive manufacturing is an example of where ORNL additive core capabilities can be exploited.”
For an archived webcast of the hearing and full witness testimony, visit:
https://appropriations.house.gov/events/hearings/domestic-manufacturing-for-a-clean-energy-future
Energy and Water Subcommittee Chair Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) opened the hearing, emphasizing the link between climate change innovation and job creation, noting, “technologies and innovations are already helping address climate change. They have led to widespread deployment, consumer savings, and good-paying jobs. For example, solar installations in 2020 set a new record, and there’s now enough solar to power 17.7 million American homes.”
The committee received testimony on new energy technologies such as new wastewater heat exchange systems and updates on the Department of Energy’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies programs, and how deployment of these technologies can be financed and incentivized efficiently.
Former ASME Fellow Dr. Tom Kurfess, now Chief Manufacturing Officer and Interim Director of the Manufacturing Science Division at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), presented testimony on what the DOE’s national labs are doing to develop, demonstrate, and deploy solutions for domestic manufacturers to support a clean energy future. Dr. Kurfess highlighted in his testimony how ORNL is accelerating clean energy innovation throughout the U.S. manufacturing ecosystem, with examples including energy efficient green manufacturing, innovation in advanced batteries, and graphene production.
“Many technology options to decarbonize the U.S. industrial sector are expensive or nonexistent,” stated Kurfess. “To address this issue, ORNL will leverage core manufacturing capabilities to develop, demonstrate, and deploy new or existing solutions. The development of advanced heat exchangers for carbon capture utilizing large-scale additive manufacturing is an example of where ORNL additive core capabilities can be exploited.”
For an archived webcast of the hearing and full witness testimony, visit:
https://appropriations.house.gov/events/hearings/domestic-manufacturing-for-a-clean-energy-future
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