Nov. 4 (UPI) — From the coveted fusion, a near-endless source of energy, to net-zero ambitions for aviation, the White House on Friday said it was offering $1.5 billion in new funding for clean-energy research at the country’s national laboratories.
The funding comes from U.S. President Joe Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act.
“Strengthening our national labs will increase economic growth, create good-paying, local jobs and help attract skilled workers needed to drive clean energy solutions and other technologies that will lower costs for families, make people’s lives better and address the climate crisis,” the White House said.
Biden’s measure to tackle inflation includes incentives for everything from wind power to electric vehicles. The new funding for the national labs covers a wide range of advancements, from efficiency upgrades for heating and cooling systems, net-zero aviation through electrification or carbon-neutral fuels, a cleaner energy grid and fusion.
Fusion is a type of nuclear energy derived from the collision of atoms. It is considered a near-limitless and clean source of energy, but it’s only been tested so far in non-commercial experiments. The British government in October picked a site for what could be the first utility-scale fusion prototype.
For taxpayers, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris announced earlier this week that a new program under the federal Department of Health and Human Services will offer $4.5 billion to help low-income families pay their bills and make any necessary energy-related repairs.
Another tranche of funding supports a rebate program for heat pumps, something the administration said holds “tremendous promise to lower energy costs for all American families — saving up to $500 in energy bills every year.” The White House estimates heat pumps can heat and cool an average home using about a third less energy than conventional systems.
Biden last year obligated the federal government to get to net-zero emissions by 2050.
