U.S. Department of Energy awards $225 million to lithium efforts in Southwest Arkansas

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

Standard Lithium Ltd. and Equinor announced Friday (Sept. 20) that its jointly-owned U.S. subsidiary, SWA Lithium LLC has been selected for up to $225 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

This selection is one of the largest ever awarded to a U.S. critical minerals project and is part of the second wave of funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) aimed at expanding domestic manufacturing of all segments of the battery supply chain and increasing production of critical minerals in the U.S.

None of Arkansas’ Congressional delegation voted in favor of the IIJA. The provisional grant is dependent on completing successful final negotiations with the DOE.

The $225 million funding by the DOE will support the construction of the Central Processing Facility for Phase 1 of the Southwest Arkansas project, which is being designed to annually produce 22,500 tonnes of battery-quality lithium carbonate.

U.S. Department of Energy awards $225 million to lithium efforts in Southwest Arkansas

Can solar energy and ag coexist? August 21 webinar takes up ‘agrivoltaics’

By Drew Viguet
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Does large-scale installation of solar panels on farms make the land unusable for other purposes?

Agrivoltaics, which is agricultural production under or around solar panels, will be discussed during the National Ag Law Center's webinar on Aug. 21, 2024. (U.S. Department of Energy photo by Merrill Smith)

“Solar energy development is increasing rapidly, which commonly involves large-scale solar projects on rural and agricultural lands that can take that land out of agricultural production,” Harrison Pittman, director of the National Agricultural Law Center, said. “Agrivoltaics offers the potential of keeping the land in production while also using it for solar.”

“Agrivoltaics,” as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy, is agricultural production under or adjacent to solar panels. This agricultural production can include crop production, livestock production or pollinator habitats.

In September 2021, the DOE released its Solar Futures Study, which looks at the role of solar in decarbonizing the U.S. electric grid. One finding from the study is that much land for ground-based solar development is needed to accomplish this: approximately 0.5 percent of contiguous U.S. surface area. The report notes that to meet this need, photovoltaic systems, or solar panels, could be installed on farming or grazing areas.

Key principles of agrivoltaics, including the impact of agrivoltaics on agricultural production, is the focus of the Aug. 21 NALC webinar, “Can Agriculture and Solar Co-Exist? Exploring the Promise and Challenge of Agrivoltaics.” The webinar will be presented by Peggy Kirk Hall, director of The Ohio State University Extension Agricultural and Resource Law Program, and Jesse Richardson, professor of law and lead land use attorney at West Virginia University College of Law.

The webinar begins at 11 a.m. Central/Noon Eastern. Registration is free of charge and available online.

“We’ve seen initiatives and mandates across the country geared toward boosting renewable energy to meet energy demands,” Hall said. “Solar energy is often a part of those initiatives, which raises many concerns for producers and communities as well, such as cost, impact on agricultural production, loss of prime and unique soils, and community land use goals. The installation of large-scale solar panels can limit that land’s ability to be used for other agricultural needs, but it doesn’t necessarily have to.”

In 2023, the agrivoltaic market size was valued at $5.5 billion, according to Global Market Insights, and that number is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of almost 6 percent from 2024 to 2032.

Richardson said that he and Hall will explore agrivoltaics from a variety of angles, shedding light on its opportunities and challenges.

“As renewable energy is an increasingly popular topic at local, state and federal levels, these conversations will inevitably become more frequent,” Richardson said. “We aim to inform the discussion on agrivoltaics, looking at how things are now and possible impacts for the future.”

All webinars in the NALC Webinar Series are recorded and archived on the NALC website.

For information about the National Agricultural Law Center, visit nationalaglawcenter.org or follow @Nataglaw on X. The National Agricultural Law Center is also on Facebook and LinkedIn.

For updates on agricultural law and policy developments, subscribe free of charge to The Feed, the NALC’s twice-monthly newsletter highlighting recent legal developments facing agriculture.

UA Little Rock receives $1 million energy grant for cyberattack focus

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock received $1 million Tuesday (May 30) to expand its Emerging Threat Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ET-ISAC). The university will use the money in combination with several partners to strengthen protection from cybersecurity attacks in the energy sector.

The project is supported with a $1 million award from the Department of Energy’s Office of Cyber Security, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER).

Through the already operational Forge Institute Emerging Threat Center, the money will enhance collaboration between electric utilities and partners from the energy sector to advance practices in cybersecurity threat sharing throughout the mid-South region of the country.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/05/ua-little-rock-receives-1-million-energy-grant-for-cyberattack-focus/

Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma Hydrogen Partnership Encouraged to Submit Full Application for Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program

LITTLE ROCK – Today, Govs. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, John Bel Edwards of Louisiana and J. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma announced that the United States Department of Energy (DOE) has encouraged the HALO Hydrogen Hub to submit a Full Application for the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program, allocated through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The three governors announced the creation of the HALO Hub, a bipartisan, three-state partnership between Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, in March of 2022 to compete for funding outlined in IIJA.

The program will appropriate up to $7 billion to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop six to 10 regional clean hydrogen hubs demonstrating the production, processing, delivery, storage, and end-use of clean hydrogen. DOE’s ultimate goal is to create a network of clean hydrogen producers, potential consumers and connective infrastructure located in close proximity that ultimately intersects and remains sustainable after DOE’s grant expires.

The DOE application process includes two phases – the first of which was an initial broad concept pitch, due to DOE in early November. Following an independent assessment of the various broad proposals, DOE encouraged the HALO Hub to enter the second phase by submitting a Full Application to receive up to $1.25 billion in federal funding.

“We are excited to partner with our neighbors in Louisiana and Oklahoma to put forward a winning application. Arkansas has a growing and diverse energy portfolio and natural resources that are vital to any successful regional hub. We are proud of our partners and companies in Arkansas that are leading the way to develop demand for low-carbon hydrogen and showing that hydrogen can be commercially viable,” explained Governor Hutchinson.

“Expansion of hydrogen production and use is tailor-made for the HALO states because there has already been investment and work in the component parts of potential hydrogen hubs, but we can now have a focal point that unifies the efforts of the three states,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “HALO states already have a healthy infrastructure in place that is actively delivering the raw materials to our industrial base, which is in turn making use of that hydrogen feedstock – next steps will be making sure all that hydrogen becomes low-carbon and making it more available and accepted as a major energy source.”

"Oklahoma is honored to be included in the DOE invitation to submit a bid for the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program. We share with Arkansas and Louisiana the same goal for production, use, and economic impact that can result from creating a hydrogen economy. The opportunities and abundant resources in Oklahoma complement our partners, and I am confident that our three state coalition can land this hub and become the nation’s heartland for hydrogen. Oklahoma believes in a “More of Everything” energy approach and by leaning into the hydrogen future with our partners, we can further diversify our nation’s energy portfolio and start meeting American demand with American energy,” said Oklahoma Governor J. Kevin Stitt.

The HALO Hub is currently preparing a Full Application that demonstrates the three-state coalition’s assets across all parts of the value chain, from feedstock to production, transportation and delivery, storage, and end-use. The submission deadline for Full Applications is April 7, 2023. DOE is expected to announce funding recipients in the fall of 2023.