Hanford Hosts First Cleanup to Clean Energy Information Day at EM Site

RICHLAND, Wash. – On Friday, the Hanford Site hosted the first Cleanup to Clean Energy Information Day at an EM cleanup site.

Such site events are key to DOE’s newly launched Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative, whose primary objective is to repurpose parts of DOE-owned lands previously associated with the nation’s nuclear weapons program for carbon-free energy (CFE) production.

The information days create engagement between DOE and industry, stakeholders, federal entities, tribal leaders, and state and local officials, while providing a platform for information sharing and questions.

“As the leading federal agency on clean-energy research, development, deployment and demonstration, DOE has both a unique opportunity and a clear responsibility to lead by example and identify creative solutions to achieve the president’s mandate,” EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White said. “The cleanup progress made at Hanford sets the stage for additional mission success as we look to move this initiative forward.”

In August, DOE issued a request for information to identify organizations interested in leasing federal land at the Hanford Site for large-scale CFE projects.

Approximately 19,000 acres of land at the Hanford Site have been identified for potential industrial use, including clean-energy generation and storage.

DOE may opt to lease some or all of this land to one or multiple entities for CFE-generation projects.

Following welcoming remarks by Brian Stickney, Office of River Protection and Richland Operations Office deputy manager, Narayan Subramanian, DOE advisor to the secretary of energy, kicked off the event. Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk provided remarks.

“The EM mission is first and foremost,” said Turk. “What we are doing here is a related mission, a natural extension of what we have been doing here for many, many years and that is cleanup to clean energy — it really is a marriage of missions.”

Ingrid Kolb, chief sustainability officer and director of the DOE Office of Management, then moderated a panel discussion with experts, engaging an audience of over 70 participants who were able to ask panelists questions and provide comments.

The panel was composed of Brian Harkins, Richland Operations Office assistant manager for Mission Support; Jeremiah Baumann, senior advisor to the under secretary of energy and director of policy and implementation for the Office of the Under Secretary for Infrastructure; and Julie Turner, Pacific Northwest Site Office manager. White provided closing remarks.

For further details on the Hanford event, please visit DOE’s Cleanup to Clean Energy webpage.

DOE is seeking feedback on this initiative. Input should be sent to [email protected] by Oct. 12 at 4 p.m. PST. Following review of responses to the request for information, DOE will announce next steps to identify potential opportunities for CFE generation at Hanford.

DOE will maintain ongoing communication and collaboration with industry, stakeholders and tribal nations as the clean-energy project takes shape. Look for DOE to announce information days at additional EM sites as they are scheduled.

-Contributor: Cerise Peck