DOE Launches Bold ‘Cleanup to Clean Energy’ Initiative for Former Nuclear Lands

In an unprecedented move to combat climate change and promote clean energy, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has unveiled the groundbreaking “Cleanup to Clean Energy” initiative. This innovative effort aims to transform portions of DOE-owned lands, which were previously dedicated to the nation’s nuclear weapons program, into sites for generating clean energy. Collaborating with various stakeholders, including industry, federal entities, tribes, state, and local officials, the DOE intends to lease these lands for the development of utility-scale clean energy projects. The initiative aligns with President Biden’s ambitious climate change goals and the mandate in Executive Order 14057, which calls for federal agencies to utilize their properties for advancing clean electricity generation.

Speaking at the launch event, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm expressed her vision for the project, stating, “We are going to transform the lands we have used over decades for nuclear security and environmental remediation by working closely with tribes and local communities together with partners in the private sector to build some of the largest clean energy projects in the world. Through the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative, DOE will leverage areas that were previously used to protect our national security and will repurpose them to the same end—this time, generating clean energy that will help save the planet and protect our energy independence.”

The DOE’s Office of Environmental Management, Office of Nuclear Energy, and National Nuclear Security Administration have identified approximately 70,000 acres of land across five sites for potential clean energy development. These sites include:

Hanford Site, Richland, Washington

Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho

Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada

Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Carlsbad, New Mexico

President Biden’s Executive Order 14057, issued in December 2021, set an ambitious target for federal agencies to achieve 100% clean electricity generation by 2030. It also directed agencies to authorize the use of their real property assets, including land, for the development of new clean electricity generation and storage through leases, grants, permits, or other mechanisms. Throughout the development and implementation of clean energy projects on DOE-owned lands, the agency will maintain open communication and collaboration with industry stakeholders, Tribal Nations, local communities, regulators, and other relevant parties.