U.S. Department of Energy Showcases Clean Energy Achievements at COP29

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Deputy Secretary Dave Turk led the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) delegation to Baku, Azerbaijan for the 29th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). The Department of Energy announced and highlighted a range of initiatives, including that DOE has committed over $95 billion in funding made available from the landmark BIL-IRA climate legislation. Additional areas include global goals on energy storage and grids, nuclear energy and clean hydrogen, all in the service of ensuring a durable and long-lasting transition to clean energy around the world. Highlights include: 

Spurring multilateral commitments to keep 1.5 within reach:  

• U.S. Joins Landmark Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge: The U.S. actively helped to produce and endorsed the Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge in support of a collective global target of deploying 1,500 gigawatts of total energy storage in the power sector by 2030 and a global grids deployment goal of adding or refurbishing 25 million kilometers of grids by 2030. Increasing total energy storage is essential to make possible the tripling renewables pledge by 2030 from COP29, and transform variable renewable energy into reliable, dispatchable baseload power. 
   
• U.S. Joins COP29 Hydrogen Pledge: The U.S. endorsed the COP29 Hydrogen Pledge, supporting a commitment to scale up clean hydrogen production and accelerate decarbonization of existing hydrogen production from unabated fossil fuels, with a focus on end-use sectors that are difficult to decarbonize. The pledge also underlines the importance of ensuring that hydrogen systems are maximally beneficial to the climate, including by minimizing hydrogen losses across the value chain. 
   
• U.S. Delivers Global Energy Sector Decarbonization Solutions Through the Net Zero World Initiative: Throughout 2024, Net Zero World has elevated clean energy ambitions, accelerated technology deployment, mobilized investment, and supported community-led transitions to clean energy systems by: strengthening Nationally Determined Contributions and long-term energy transition strategies in six major countries, advancing the implementation of more than 20 decarbonization policies and measures across eight countries, facilitating clean energy deployment through pilot projects that will inform gigawatt-scale clean energy deployment, and training over 300 individuals in various clean energy fields, and creating an investment pipeline worth tens of billions of dollars across all Net Zero World partner countries.   
   
• Advancing the Effort to Triple Nuclear Energy by 2050: At COP29, endorsers of the Tripling Nuclear Energy Declaration shared announcements on new investment plans, deployment targets, and other steps to advance nuclear energy. In addition, six countries endorsed the declaration: El Salvador, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Nigeria, and Türkiye.  
   
• U.S. Co-Sponsored Carbon Management Challenge Expands Membership: On November 15, 2024, the Carbon Management Challenge (CMC) expanded membership to Include: Bahrain, Kenya, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Senegal. Since President Biden welcomed the Carbon Management Challenge (CMC) last year, 22 countries plus the European Commission have joined the initiative. In 2024, the CMC has stood up a Secretariat to deliver outcomes on (1) developing country project finance; (2) project deployment and tracking; and (3) strategic communications and engagement.  
   
• The U.S. Advances International Energy Security through Nuclear Security Statement: In May 2024, DOE put forward a Joint Statement signed by 28 countries at the IAEA’s quadrennial nuclear security conference (ICONS) on the importance of security in the development of new nuclear power programs. The Statement reflects a global commitment to maintaining the highest standards of nuclear security to prevent theft of material and facility sabotage in the development of nuclear power capacity and remains open for additional signatories.  
   
• U.S. Supports Green Public Procurement: To rapidly scale demand for low and near-zero emissions materials like steel, cement, and concrete, the Industrial Deep Decarbonization Initiative (IDDI), First Movers Coalition (FMC), and Net-Zero Government Initiative (NZGI) are calling on governments to join the IDDI’s Green Public Procurement Pledge. The call also encourages governments to create a more enabling national environment for green procurement by using reporting mechanisms and supporting businesses in growing markets for advanced clean technologies. 

Partnering to accelerate clean energy transitions: 

• U.S.-Romania Nuclear Energy Partnership Creates 1.4 GW of Clean Energy: On November 15, 2024, a consortium of four companies signed a contract with Nuclearelectrica (Romania) to complete two reactors in Romania’s Cernavoda nuclear power plant, generating 1.4 gigawatts of clean power. The consortium includes Fluor and Sargent & Lundy (U.S.), Atkins Realis (Canada), and Ansaldo Nucleare (Italy). The effort was catalyzed by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Romania Ministry of Energy Inter Governmental Agreement signed in 2020. 
   
• DOE Drives Major Innovation with Energy Earthshots International Collaborators: On November 15 2024, DOE welcomed Australia as an Energy Earthshots™ Initiative International Collaborator, focused on the Long Duration Storage Shot™, which aims to reduce the cost of grid-scale energy storage by 90% for systems that deliver 10+ hours of duration within the decade. As part of each technical collaboration, countries agree to rise to the ambition of the Energy Earthshots within their own national programs as well as share best practices, strategies, and progress toward respective national goals.  
   
• U.S. and Australia Sign Memorandum of Understanding on Clean Energy Technology Research and Development: On November 18, 2024, DOE and Australia's Renewable Energy Agency signed a memorandum of understanding to launch new cooperation on research, development, and deployment of clean energy technologies and solutions. 
   
• Generation IV International Forum - GIF Framework Agreement Signing: On November 18, 2024, DOE Deputy Secretary David M. Turk and the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband signed the 2024 Generation IV International Forum (GIF) Framework Agreement (FA), an international framework to research, test, and scale fourth generation nuclear systems for industrial deployment by 2030. The previous GIF FA entered into force in 2005 and was extended in 2015.  
   
• Driving Battery Industry Development in Emerging Economies: On November 15, 2024, the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) Supercharging Battery Storage Initiative, with support from DOE, launched of a report That examines solutions to battery storage challenges facing emerging markets, including enabling policy and regulatory environments, deployment and financing, and operation and value stack. The report includes case studies from Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Pacific.    
   
• U.S. Co-Founds Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) Campaign for Energy Regulation: The United States announced it will co-lead a CEM campaign convening energy regulators and policymakers to discuss effective regulation and regulatory processes over the next few years. Members will explore range of policy blueprints, including increasing regulators’ resources, introducing decarbonization mandates, and considering longer term time frames in regulatory decision making. 
   
• DOE-Led International Working Group Examines Emissions in the Natural Gas Supply Chain: DOE, in partnership with the European Commission and 18 natural gas importing and exporting countries, are developing a framework for the measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV) of methane, carbon dioxide, and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that occur during the production, processing, transmission, liquefaction, transport, and distribution of natural gas. An agreed framework for MMRV will allow buyers to use purchasing decisions to incentivize greenhouse gas emissions reductions.  
   
• DOE Provides Critical Assistance to Bolster Ukraine: Since Russia’s 2022 Illegal Invasion of Ukraine, DOE has delivered 800 pieces of high-voltage grid equipment and supported the safe, secure, and reliable operation of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. In addition, DOE deployed and monitored sensors that provide near real time situational analysis on the radiological and nuclear conditions in Ukraine. Finally, DOE is leveraging expertise from U.S. national laboratories to provide continuous monitoring and analysis of Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure. 
   
• DOE and USAID Support Proactive Transmission Planning in the Philippines: In 2024, DOE, in partnership with USAID, provided regulatory implementation support to the Philippines Energy Regulatory Commission and partnered with Philippines Department of Energy to incorporate detailed offshore wind and solar resource mapping to future Green Energy Auctions. These efforts supported the Philippines’ Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) process in producing analysis in 2024 that will enable the Philippines to reach 21GW of installed offshore wind power by 2040—the equivalent of supplying 21% of the country's electricity demand.  
   
• U.S. Builds International Clean Energy Workforce in Poland, Ghana, and UAE: In 2024, DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy launched regional Clean Energy Training Centers (CETCs), in Poland, Ghana, and announced the establishment of a CETC in the United Arab Emirates. The CETCs will provide workforce development and professional training in nuclear energy and associated integrated energy systems.  

Investing and innovating to reach net zero at home:  

Commercialization 

• DOE Invests Over $95 Billion in Funding to Implement Landmark U.S. Climate Legislation: On November 16, 2024, DOE Secretary Granholm announced that over $95 billion for grants and loans through funding have been made available by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, including $58 billion for awards and $37 billion for loans. Of this funding, DOE has made $13.4 billion available and committed $2 billion to 87 projects to strengthen domestic clean energy supply chains.  DOE has allocated funding for 17 awarded and 21 selected new or upgraded manufacturing facilities to produce clean energy technologies across 25 states. Over $14 billion in conditionally committed loans and $6 billion in financial closes have been announced supporting battery supply chain and critical materials process and recycling projects in eleven states. Through the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, DOE has allocated $7 billion for Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs, $6 billion for industrial demonstration projects to decarbonize energy-intensive industries and reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions, and $1.2 billion to advance the development of two Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs, among several other initiatives.  
   
• DOE Releases Commercial Liftoff Reports: On November 13, 2024, the Office of Technology Transitions announced a new report on sustainable aviation fuels. This report outlines a path to commercialization for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the only viable solution for decarbonizing aviation in the near-term by 2030. SAFs can be commercially viable in the United States by 2030 with action to scale supply, increase long-term demand, and shore up supportive policy. This report follows three other 2024 liftoff reports on geothermal, offshore wind, and innovative grid solutions, as well as September’s updated report on Advanced Nuclear deployment. 
   
• U.S. Advances Climate Action Through the Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation: In 2024, The Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation (FESI), an independent nonprofit entity established through the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, announced their inaugural board of directors. With a mandate to empower America's energy future, FESI supports DOE by accelerating the development and commercialization of critical energy technologies, fostering public-private partnerships, and providing additional resources to diverse communities and stakeholders.  
   
• U.S. Releases the National Innovation Pathway Report: The 2024 Update to the National Innovation Pathway Report captures the impact of major investments in research, development, and innovation in critical energy technologies helping to bring the most needed technology innovations to market.  

Just Transitions and Inclusive Workforce 

• U.S. Clean Energy Jobs Grew at More Than Twice the Rate of Overall U.S. Employment in 2023: The Biden-Harris Administration's record investments in climate, clean energy deployment, and manufacturing spurred job growth in clean energy, adding 149,000 jobs in 2023, at more than twice the rate of the U.S. economy. Unionization rates in clean energy surpassed the traditional sector and employers reported less difficulty hiring qualified workers than in 2022. Sectors crucial to achieving America's 100% percent clean energy goals, including zero-emission vehicle, renewables, and storage, saw significant growth. 
   
• DOE Builds Place-Based Workforce Development: Through the Community Workforce Readiness Accelerator for Major Projects pilot initiative announced in 2024, DOE prepares and connects local workers to good jobs on large clean energy infrastructure and supply chain projects in target geographies. This initiative partners workforce leaders with local host organizations to build inclusive workforce development strategies aimed at forging pathways for local workers, underrepresented populations, and disadvantaged communities to fill gaps in high growth clean energy sectors. 
   
• DOE Advances Equity in the Energy Sector through Equity Action Plan: DOE's second annual Equity Action Plan, published in February 2024, outlines DOE progress and the strategies to advance equity for all Americans through DOE programming and initiatives. The Equity Action Plan highlights five strategies: 1) establishing a DOE-wide Community Benefits Plan framework; 2) updating the Merit Review program to facilitate equitable outcomes, 3) increasing access to procurement opportunities for new entrants and disadvantaged businesses, 4) integrating justice considerations into R&D programs, and 5) developing an agency-wide framework to work with Tribal and disadvantaged communities.   

Industrial Decarbonization 

• DOE Releases National Blueprint for a Clean and Competitive Industrial Sector: On November 18, 2024, DOE launched the National Blueprint for a Clean and Competitive Industrial Sector. This Blueprint outlines a national strategy for a private sector led, government enabled transition and transformation of the U.S. industrial sector -- to boost competitiveness, reduce emissions, create good-paying jobs for American workers, and create a cleaner, more equitable future for all Americans. The document ties together existing government strategies and approaches that address both the challenges and opportunities involved in reducing industrial GHG emissions across the short-, mid-, and long-term.  
   
• The U.S. Launches Pathways to an Industrial Transformation: Unlocking American Innovation Report: On November 20, 2024, DOE Deputy Secretary Turk announced the publication of a new report, Pathways to an Industrial Transformation: Unlocking American Innovation. This report identifies strategic pathways to decarbonize industry, while ensuring just and equitable outcomes for all Americans. This new vision study builds upon DOE's Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap and Pathways for Commercial Liftoff reports to identify industry-specific strategic pathways to achieve a thriving and clean U.S. industrial sector. 
   
• U.S. Annual Update on Green Public Procurement Pledge Progress:  Last year, the U.S. signed the Clean Energy Ministerial and Industrial Deep Decarbonization's Green Public Procurement Pledge, a commitment to increasing market demand for low emission steel, cement, and concrete. This year, as part of its support for this pledge and broader green public procurement efforts, the U.S. has invested over $10 billion across nine federal agencies and countless initiatives and has worked to integrate ‘Buy Clean’ principles into critical infrastructure and transportation projects across the country.  

Power Sector, Storage, Grids 

• DOE Opened the Grid Storage Launchpad Facility: On August 13, 2024, DOE joined the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in opening the 93,000 square foot Grid Storage Launchpad, which will revolutionize clean energy innovation and support DOE’s efforts to develop grid-scale energy storage technology by enabling testing and validation of next-generation materials and systems under realistic grid operating conditions. 
   
• How the U.S Power Grid Kept the Lights on in the Summer 2024: This factsheet evaluates grid performance in "elevated risk" areas of the country during the above average temperatures in 2024 Summer. Rapid deployment of solar and storage, made possible by BIL and IRA investments, delivers increased amounts of clean power during hot days when summer demand is the highest. The fact sheet highlights trends in the evolving grid mix that are helping maintain summer peak reliability in places such as Texas—and how these trends could help maintain future summer reliability in regions throughout the United States and across the world.  
   
• DOE will Release Energy Storage Strategy and Roadmap: On November 15, DOE announced that it will release an updated strategy for DOE's crosscutting Energy Storage System Research, Development, Demonstration, and Deployment Program. The Energy Storage Strategy and Roadmap will lay out a vision for energy storage as an enabler of resilient, flexible, affordable, and secure energy systems and supply, for everyone, everywhere.  
   
• The U.S. Invests $65 Million in a Stronger, More Resilient Grid: DOE is investing $65 million in grid edge technologies for utilities, grid planners, and operators. These investments accelerate the United States towards a clean energy economy by optimizing systems with grid-connected buildings and electric vehicles (EVs) powered by clean energy. This DOE funding demonstrates these advanced grid technologies are reliable, efficient, secure, and ready for wide-scale adoption. 

Energy Efficiency 

• DOE Invests Additional $90 Million to Cut Domestic Energy Costs, Build Climate Resilience. In September 2024, DOE provided an additional $90 million, the second installment of a $225 million program, to support building energy code adoption, training, and technical assistance at the state and local level. Funding for building codes is key to lower energy costs for working families, make communities more resilient to climate change-fueled extreme weather events, and achieve the nation’s ambitious clean energy and climate goals. DOE estimates that from 2010 through 2040, energy codes will have saved homes and businesses $182 billion on utility bills and prevented as much carbon dioxide from reaching the atmosphere as that emitted by 187 million gasoline-powered cars annually. 
   
• DOE Announces $38.8 Million to Help Protect American Buildings from Blackouts and Extreme Weather: Through research, development, and validation investments of $38.8 million announced in September 2024 for state-of-the-art HVAC equipment, building envelope, and lighting, DOE is lowering the energy costs of buildings, and making them more resilient to blackouts and extreme weather and allow them to function as assets to the electrical grid. 
   
• DOE Releases Blueprint to Decarbonize the Buildings Sector by 2050: Released in April 2024, DOE's Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy by 2050: A National Blueprint for the Buildings Sector lays out a national strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. buildings 65% by 2035 and 90% by 2050 versus 2005 while delivering equity, affordability, and resilience benefits to communities. Fully implementing this blueprint would save U.S. consumers more than $100 billion in annual energy costs and avoid $17 billion in annual health costs.   

Carbon Management 

• DOE Releases Carbon Management Strategy for Public Comment: In October 2024, DOE released the Carbon Management Strategy for public comment. The Strategy provides a comprehensive roadmap for the remainder of the decade that outlines the diverse tools and approaches DOE uses to develop and deploy carbon management solutions in line with President Biden and Vice President Harris’ climate, economic, and social priorities. Comments on the report must be submitted electronically to [email protected] by December 10, 2024. 
   
• DOE Invests $518 Million to Strengthen Nation’s Infrastructure for Permanent, Safe Storage of Carbon Pollution: In October 2024, DOE announced more than $518 million to support 23 selected projects across 19 states that will fight climate change by developing the infrastructure needed for national decarbonization. The projects, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will provide for the development and validation of commercial large-scale carbon storage infrastructure to significantly and responsibly reduce carbon dioxide emissions from industrial operations and power plants, as well as from legacy emissions in the atmosphere, while supporting good jobs and environmental priorities in local communities. DOE released a request for information, with responses due by December 20, 2024, to seek information from stakeholders on carbon storage infrastructure needs prior to opening the next round of this funding opportunity. 
   
• United States to Purchase $35 Million in Carbon Dioxide Removal Credits: As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, in May 2024, DOE selected semifinalists for the $35 million Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Purchase Pilot Prize, the first national government program to directly purchase CDR credits. Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, semifinalists will produce a carbon dioxide removal credit purchase contract, including measurement, reporting, and verification standards and commercial off-take terms. Up to 10 semifinalist teams will be chosen to receive a CDR Credit Purchase Agreement award of up to $3 million. DOE released a primer on CDR credits to help other non-governmental entities engage in the CDR credit market, including international governments, organizations, and companies. 
   
• DOE Establishes Framework for Responsible Deployment of Carbon Management Projects: In August 2024, DOE released the final Responsible Carbon Management Initiative Principles under its Responsible Carbon Management Initiative (RCMI). The RCMI Principles provide a high-level, voluntary framework to encourage both publicly and privately funded carbon management project developers pursue the highest levels of safety, environmental stewardship, accountability, community engagement, and societal benefits.