CMBlu Energy Takes to Washington, DC for Clean Power on The Hill
Clean Power on The Hill presented over 250 leaders in the clean energy space, from installers and engineers to executives, with the opportunity to represent the clean power industry and discuss imperative topics with Members of Congress and their staff on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, U.S.
CMBlu Energy, Inc. President, Giovanni Damato, and Head of Special Projects, Julie Royes, participated in trainings and conversations on April 9 and April 10 to advocate for the clean power industry’s top policy initiatives at the federal level.
Tuesday, April 9: The event kicked off with an industry listening session with various leaders discussing the clean energy landscape and identifying the ‘three asks’ to focus lobbying efforts on.
All in attendance shared an understanding of the need to bring more clean energy online for the United States’ future. These ‘three asks’ requested focus on preserving clean energy tax incentives, which is critical for the Storage Industry, passing bipartisan permitting reform, and protecting private property rights.
Wednesday, April 10: CMBlu Energy met with multiple representatives, senators, and staff, during the second day of Clean Power on the Hill. This allowed Giovanni and Julie to introduce CMBlu, its tech, and manufacturing plans to government leaders as well as place an emphasis on the first of the three asks, preservation of clean energy tax incentives.
Across the U.S. there are over 500 manufacturing facilities producing components for wind, solar, and storage projects in the clean power industry. Since the Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit (45X) was created, 140 new or expanded domestic manufacturing facilities have been announced. This translates to 43,000 new jobs and $40 billion in new manufacturing investments. Should these announcements reach operation, ACP estimates a nearly five-time increase in solar module production and more than a four-time increase in grid-scale battery storage.
The second ask called for support for comprehensive bipartisan permitting reform. Most in attendance agreed on the fact that permitting takes far too long and delays often cause obstructions to clean energy projects. Permitting reforms will help to unlock clean energy benefits without jeopardizing bedrock environmental laws while also improving the resiliency and reliability of the grid through the additional availability of clean energy assets. While we believe transmission build-out is important, we also believe that energy storage, especially our Organic SolidFlow battery, can assist the transition by helping it to happen much more smoothly. Energy storage assets can provide the reliability needed in response to changes in electricity usage while working around the costly, time-intensive investments in transmission and distribution infrastructure buildout.
The third ask focused on protecting the right to build clean energy on private property. With this conversation, there was a large emphasis on solar energy use on farmland. Only 1-2% of farmland is needed for solar, and co-locating solar with farmland could help farmers afford to continue farming more cost-effectively, rejuvenating over-farmed land, reducing land use competition, and providing increased tax income for rural communities. This being said, the federal government should highlight the protection of private property rights to site clean energy projects.
ACP hosted a closing reception at DC’s historic Hawk ’n’ Dove, the perfect place to close out Clean Power on the Hill’s conversations advocating for an important change in the power industry.
Overall, Clean Power on the Hill consisted of positive support and responses from government officials and peers. It’s clear that clean energy is significantly growing the U.S. economy, employing nearly half of a million Americans, and revitalizing American manufacturing, with over 100 new or expanded manufacturing facility announcements in just 12 months following the Inflation Reduction Act. The more domestic clean energy we produce, the more we can reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources and reach the ultimate goal of achieving ‘round the clock’ clean power.
About CMBlu Energy
CMBlu Energy is a leading designer and manufacturer of safe, sustainable, and secure long-duration battery energy storage systems. CMBlu’s patented Organic SolidFlow™ technology solutions are made of earth-abundant, non-lithium raw materials. The company aims to manufacture domestically at high volume, delivering energy storage solutions for a range of industrial applications from utility-scale to commercial customers. CMBlu employs over 190 people in Germany and the United States.