The loan program helped launch the country’s first utility-scale wind and solar farms as part of the Obama administration's efforts to create "green jobs'' but largely went dormant under President
The program boosted
That's about to change — in a big way, Granholm says.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Granholm said up to
“It's got to be clean. That’s it,'' she said. “And when I say clean, you know, it’s technologies that are being researched in the lab,'' like projects to capture and store carbon dioxide emissions, so-called green hydrogen fuel and other energy sources, she said.
The program will be overseen by
While
“I mean, obviously that was two administrations ago,'' she said, referring to Solyndra, which went bankrupt in 2011. “We’ve learned a lot since then. People understand that when you invest in technology that is new, you’re going to have some that don’t succeed.''
Still, the loan program overall has returned more than
Granholm called herself a “huge fan” of Shah, who co-hosts an energy podcast and advises investors on low-carbon projects. “I’m very excited about his leadership and about actually using the
The program “was a bit moribund over the past few years,” she said Wednesday, but it's “an amazing tool.'' While it has to be “streamlined" so it's easier for companies to apply, “we know it had amazing success, for example with
On other topics, Granholm said she thinks electric utilities can reach President
Getting to 80% or 90% of clean electricity is “doable,” she said. “And the last bit is going to be harder, but we have to do it.” The good news is that companies have time to make the transition and improve the technology needed produce clean power at a larger scale, she said.
Granholm also pledged that the
Biden has pledged that 40% of the benefits of clean-energy investments will go to disadvantaged communities, “so that they are not forgotten, not unseen,'' Granholm said.
Granholm, who took office
Like previous energy secretaries, Granholm said she has been impressed by the agency's breadth and scope, as well as the intricate research and sheer number of scientists with doctoral degrees at the department's 17 national laboratories.
“It’s just really an amazing organization, and I can’t wait to learn even more every day,'' Granholm said. “I look forward to seeing the fruits of all of that research be put into the field.''
Granholm said she plans to visit “every one” of the 17 labs, which stretch from
The labs are also studying COVID-19 variants and technologies that can protect against future pandemics.
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