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ClearPath Action Rundown 
June 13th, 2025

Happy Friday!

Congrats to the GOP Congressional baseball team on the win!

ClearPath has been a proud sponsor of the annual bipartisan Congressional Baseball Game for the past nine years, supporting D.C. charities.

1. Sec. Wright supports key energy tax credits

Energy Secretary Chris Wright called on lawmakers at two separate events to preserve tax incentives for nuclear, geothermal and fusion energy through 2031.

• In testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Sec. Wright said, “I have advocated in this legislation right now to have nuclear, geothermal and fusion as three emerging sources to get tax credit treatment … if you’re under construction by 2031.”

From the Senate:

• “The simple truth is this: many of these credits are Republican policies that we fought to protect…We must build a thoughtful, principled bill that doesn’t pull the rug out from under American innovators.” - Sen. John Curtis (R-UT)

What’s more: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee released its portion of the reconciliation bill, which included new funding for the Loan Program Office (LPO) to support projects aligned with President Trump’s energy agenda for nuclear, geothermal, and critical minerals. 

While this provision is a positive step forward for the President’s Agenda, the Senate can still include both new “greenfield” projects and retrofits as eligible categories for LPO funding.

2. World Bank ends nuclear ban

The World Bank is lifting its long-standing ban on nuclear energy projects. World Bank President Ajay Banga said the World Bank Group will reenter the nuclear energy industry by supporting reactor life extensions and accelerating the potential of Small Modular Reactors. 

“Lifting the ban on nuclear energy is big news, not just for unlocking World Bank support, but also because so many other financial institutions simply follow World Bank policy,” said Jeremy Harrell, CEO of ClearPath. “This is a long overdue change that can help accelerate clean, reliable energy globally, while also providing U.S. alternatives to Russian and Chinese nuclear financing.” 

The international market for nuclear energy could grow to over $100 billion annually by 2030. Regardless of how the World Bank engages on nuclear, the U.S. must be prepared to capitalize on this market by:

• Ensuring first-of-a-kind demonstration projects succeed. 
• Building a domestic nuclear fuel supply chain. 
• Strengthening America’s financing entities, such as the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, which can promote U.S. exports.

Plug in: Read more on how modernizing the World Bank is another key step towards American energy dominance in our latest blog from Jake Kincer.

3. Quaise Energy demos new geothermal technology

MA-based Quaise Energy completed its first demonstration of its new geothermal drilling technique on a full-scale oil rig in Texas. This technology uses:

• New MIT-developed technology that can drill up to 12 miles. Conventional geothermal wells typically go no further than 2.1 miles.
• Water techniques that turn into a “supercritical” phase, carrying 5-10 times more energy than regular hot water, creating a more efficient energy source.

Plug in: Learn more about the role of geothermal innovation in ClearPath’s recent whiteboard video.

4. ClearPath expands external affairs team

Anthony DiGrado joined ClearPath’s external affairs team this week as a Senior External Affairs Manager, leading ClearPath’s digital advocacy and public affairs strategies. This marks a return for Anthony, who previously interned on the ClearPath team at its start in D.C. 

Anthony has worked as a Marketing Strategist and Senior Account Manager at the digital agency IMGE and, most recently, for the Plastics Industry Association as their Director of Public Affairs and Manager of Digital Affairs, where he oversaw digital communications and advocacy on behalf of America’s eighth-largest manufacturing sector. 

Welcome, Anthony!

ClearPath also welcomed Chloe Binford as a policy fellow to the team. Chloe previously interned for Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and Congressman Josh Brecheen (R-OK).

Welcome, Chloe!

5. Oklo selected as power source for Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska

The Defense Logistics Agency selected nuclear start-up Oklo to provide power to an Air Force base in Alaska, using one of its Aurora powerhouses, after a nearly two-year contracting delay.

This project:

• Serves as the Department of the Air Force’s (DAF) microreactor pilot to enhance energy resilience and reliability for critical national security infrastructure; 
• Reinforces President Trump’s Executive Orders regarding the deployment of advanced nuclear reactor technologies for national security purposes; and
• Contracts Oklo to design, construct, own, and operate the power plant, delivering both electricity and heat to Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska.

What’s clear: “Microreactors have the potential to provide safe and affordable energy to remote rural areas… and brings us one step closer to having this critical next generation of clean, baseload energy technology to help power our communities,” Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) wrote in an X post on Thursday.

6. Fervo Energy showcases new geothermal well drilling

In other geothermal news, Fervo Energy announced the results of its latest field test using its Sugarloaf appraisal well. 

Diving deeper:

• This test represents a 40% increase in temperature and a 97% increase in depth drilled compared to their 2022 tests. 
• Fervo completed these tests in just 16 days, representing a 79% reduction in drilling time compared to the DOE baseline for ultradeep geothermal wells. 
• Fervo also announced this week that the company secured $206 million in new financing to accelerate its Cape Station project in Utah.

What’s clear: America needs to continue streamlining permitting requirements to allow innovators to quickly get their geothermal projects up and running, including on federal lands.  

Plug in: Read ClearPath’s recent geothermal innovation blog for more.

7. The Circuit

8. ICYMI

• The Environmental Protection Agency proposed to approve Texas’ application to administer a Class VI underground injection well program.
• A new study published by the Energy Information Administration showed that in 2024, the U.S. produced more energy than ever.
• Oceanid has partnered with Alaska’s Southeast Conference, as part of the Alaska Mariculture Cluster (AMC) program, to launch a request for proposals to explore marine-based carbon dioxide removal technologies.
• The International Nuclear Energy Act passed through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led by Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID).
• Construction materials provider Ozinga announced it has broken ground on a low-carbon cement mill in East Chicago (IN), which will produce one million tons of low-carbon cement for projects including data centers.
• Check out DOE’s nine key takeaways from President Trump’s Executive Orders on nuclear energy.
• NuScale is working with George Mason University to provide a state-of-the-art simulator that replicates a NuScale SMR control room.

ClearPath believes America must lead the world in innovation over regulation…markets over mandates…providing affordable, reliable, clean energy. 

That's all from us. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

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