ARLINGTON, VA – The Department of Energy could soon announce a developer for a carbon-free electricity project at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, the new head of DOE’s Office of Environmental Management said here Tuesday.
New DOE Office of Environmental Management senior adviser Candice Robertson alluded to the award during her address to the Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG) here Tuesday.
The Cleanup to Clean Energy program is an “innovative” effort by DOE to tap underutilized land on agency nuclear sites to generate electricity that does not use fossil fuels, Robertson said. Robertson said the program should help the 310-square-mile Savannah River Site meet its sustainability goals by 2030.
“And how can we leverage that property in order to generate clean energy,” Robertson said in response to a question from Exchange Monitor. Savannah River has been looking at solar power and non-carbon-emitting generation options at the site.
Awards have already been announced for the Idaho National Laboratory and the Nevada National Security Site.
Robertson was leading the DOE Cleanup to Clean Energy Program for weapons complex sites prior to being tapped by the department last month to succeed William (Ike) White, who has led Environmental Management for five years. She formally started her new role at the nuclear cleanup office this week.
