The U.S. Department of Energy is taking another shot at decarbonizing the nation around us.
DOE this week launched the Clean Fuels and Products Shot, its latest aim at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from carbon-based fuels and products. The other Shot initiatives include SunShot and Hydrogen Shot, among other energy transition strategy works.
The Clean Fuels and Products Shot is focused on reducing carbon emissions from the fuel and chemical industries, aiming at lowering those at least 85 percent by 2035. The U.S. transportation and industrial sectors current account for about 28 percent and 23 percent, respectively, of GHG emissions, or roughly half of all U.S. air pollution.
“DOE is invested in decarbonizing the transportation and chemical industries by accelerating technologies necessary to reduce emissions from the manufacturing of fuels and chemicals,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm in a statement. “This Energy Earthshot will advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to diversify the domestic supply chain with cost-competitive, clean fuels and products for daily use and establish the U.S. as a world leader in clean fuel and clean carbon-based chemical production.”
Secretary Granholm and DOE announced the latest Shot initiative at the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls. Officials also cut the ribbon on a new Biofuels National User Facility, a $15 million upgrade that took three years to complete.
Many see biomass and waste-to-energy as key components in the decarbonization of the energy sector. These efforts work on converting animal, biomass and landfill wastes into usable energy, cutting down on methane emissions as well as CO2 and NOx.
Among those are sustainable aviation fuels and renewable natural gas.
The Clean Fuels & Products Shot strategy and work, DOE said, might eliminate more than 650 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2050.
