The Department of Energy is starting to evaluate proposals for solar power projects at the Savannah River Site, the top site’s federal nuclear cleanup manager told the South Carolina governor’s Nuclear Advisory Council Monday.
The deadline for requests for qualifications for solar power at Savannah River was Friday, April 26, Michael Budney, who leads the DOE Office of Environmental Management field office, told the advisory council.
A second information day is planned May 23 on other types of carbon-free power, Budney said.
DOE is concentrating on solar power, a source of carbon-free electricity that can be designed, licensed and built relatively quickly, in the first tranche of its Cleanup to Clean Power Program at Savannah River, Budney said.
The May information day will focus on technologies that require a longer development lead time, Budney said.
The initial solicitation for Savannah River clean-power projects, which had the Friday deadline, was issued in March. President Joe Biden’s (D) Executive Order 14057 sets a goal for federal installations such as Savannah River to reach net 100% carbon-free energy usage by 2030.
