DOE eyes WIPP site for potential clean energy projects

The RFI is open to industry, government, and community members that wish to comment on the potential use of WIPP land for carbon-free electricity (CFE) projects. Comments must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. (MDT) on March 20.

The site: The DOE has identified about 9,000 acres of contiguous land that could potentially be used for industrial activities that include CFE generation and storage.

In a February 27 announcement, the agency noted that it may lease part or all the available land for CFE, or it may award leases to one or multiple entities for CFE. Potential CFE projects include nuclear, solar, and wind, according to the DOE.

The plan: The RFI is part of the DOE’s Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative to increase clean energy production by making its land available for potential CFE projects.

On March 27, there will be a Cleanup to Clean Energy WIPP Information Day, to which the DOE is inviting leaders in nuclear energy, wind, solar, geothermal, net-zero microgrids, and other clean energy technologies to participate. Attendees will have a chance to learn more about the initiative, the RFI, and the WIPP site.

More information on Cleanup to Clean Energy can be found here.

Next: After the RFI closes, the DOE will review comments and announce next steps to identify potential opportunities for CFE projects.

The agency said that it has not made any final decisions and will continue to communicate with stakeholders on proposed land uses.