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The U.S. Department of Energy achieved several major accomplishments in 2022, including a recent breakthrough in fusion energy.
In December, scientists at the National Ignition Facility at DOE’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory achieved fusion ignition, creating more energy from fusion reactions than the energy used to start the process. This was the first time this has ever been achieved in a laboratory, anywhere on Earth, making it one of the most impressive scientific feats in recent history.
Achieving fusion ignition opens a new realm for maintaining a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent in an age without nuclear testing. It also moves the nation closer to the possibility of a zero-carbon, abundant fusion energy powering society.
It was just one of the year’s highlights. Earlier this year, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the DOE worked with the International Energy Agency and 30 other nations to release 190 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, alleviating a supply disruption and helping lower the price of gas in the U.S. by up to 40 cents. Currently, gasoline is nearly $2 cheaper than it was at its June 2022 peak.
Another highlight was the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act into law. It makes the biggest investment in clean energy and climate action in U.S. history, with tax credits and rebates for a variety of clean energy technologies. The law includes approximately $35 billion for DOE and authorizes $350 billion in new loan authority and guarantees for our Loan Programs Office (LPO). The DOE has already invested more than $1.5 billion from IRA for critical infrastructure at its National Labs, mobilized resources under the Defense Production Act for heat pump manufacturing, allocated $9 billion for states and tribes to support home energy rebate programs, and created the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment program to replace or update energy infrastructure.
Among other achievements in 2022 are:
• The CHIPS and Science Act, which authorizes $67 billion for DOE to spend on research and development in clean energy and advanced computing and manufacturing;
• The launch of the Clean Energy Corps to hire hundreds of new staff to support our work connected to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law;
• The launch of the Building a Better Grid initiative to catalyze the nationwide development of new and upgraded high-capacity electric transmission lines;
• The approval of EV charging plans for 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico by DOE and DOT’s Joint Office on Energy and Transportation;
• The opening of applications for a new $7 billion program to create between six and ten regional clean hydrogen hubs in the U.S.;
• Awarding $2.8 billion in battery manufacturing grants in 12 states to bolster the domestic supply chain for EVs and grid storage;
• The addition of three new Energy Earthshots to cut costs for lynchpin technologies over the next decade;
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• The Floating Offshore Wind Shot, which seeks to reduce the cost of floating offshore wind energy by at least 70 percent, to $45 per megawatt-hour, by 2035;
• The Enhanced Geothermal Shot, which seeks to reduce the cost of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) by 90 percent, to $45 per megawatt hour, by 2035; and
• The Industrial Heat Shot, which aims to develop cost-competitive industrial heat decarbonization technologies with at least 85 percent lower greenhouse gas pollution by 2035.
Read More: Recent breakthrough in fusion energy among top achievements by DOE in 2022