In our first post, we made the case that energy is the foundation of shared prosperity. In our second, we demonstrated how outdated infrastructure and market rules are holding America back. Now, we’re calling for a paradigm shift: America must deploy dispatchable, emissions-free energy as the backbone of a balanced, 21st century grid.

Every Economic Boom Started with a Breakthrough in Energy 

Every great American boom has been powered by a breakthrough in the energy sector. Coal powered the industrial revolution. Hydropower lit up homes and cities. Oil and gas fueled postwar manufacturing. And technologies like nuclear, solar, and hydraulic fracking have helped deliver some of the cheapest electricity in the world.

Now, we’re entering a new era. Artificial intelligence, high-tech manufacturing, and national security demands are driving a massive need for around-the-clock electricity. Data centers can’t tolerate outages. Semiconductor fabs require precise voltages. Military bases need resilient power. At the same time, we need to balance economic growth with our clean energy goals. 

That’s where clean firm power comes in – emissions-free electricity that can be dispatched whenever it’s needed, for as long as it’s needed. Clean firm power helps balance fluctuations in supply and demand, maintain grid reliability, and reduce the risk of costly overbuild. At least  25% of our generation mix will need to be clean firm power. Why? Because it’s not just about having enough electrons, it’s about having the right mix of clean resources. Clean, dispatchable power will also strengthen our energy security – providing electricity when market volatile or weather-dependent resources fall short. A diversified energy system is more resilient, reducing exposure to single-fuel shocks and ensuring the lights stay on in a world of rising physical and cyber risks.

We Have the Technologies, We Need a Plan.

America is leading on the technologies that can deliver. Next-generation geothermal and advanced nuclear companies are breaking ground. Long-duration energy storage and fusion are advancing faster than predicted. 

But we are not building fast enough and neither federal nor state governments are moving with the urgency required to make clean firm power a top-line strategy instead of a side bet. The current climate and clean energy approach treats clean firm as the final piece of the puzzle. But we can’t decarbonize the grid affordably or reliably without it baked in from the start.

Here’s the hard truth: It’s a global race and the US is falling behind. China is already building advanced reactors at factory speed. They’ve cracked the code on financing and they’re not stopping at domestic builds – they’re exporting their reactors to expand their reach. The European Union is also rolling out cross-border frameworks and investing heavily on solutions like next-generation geothermal and long-duration energy storage as part of their clean transition strategy.

In the US, we’ve got the technologies, the talent, and the capability to lead but no plan to tie it all together. Our most promising companies are inventing technologies of the future but are facing roadblocks to build at home. If we don’t clear the barriers now, other countries will commercialize first.

The Path Forward: Build by 2030

Companies like Kairos, Fervo, and Commonwealth Fusion Systems are proving what’s possible. The federal government is signaling support. States from California to Texas are leaning in. But progress is scattered, slow, and insufficient. It’s time to replace piecemeal efforts with a unified plan that turns potential into prosperity. Here’s where we can start: 

• Build a federal clean firm strategy: Develop a federal roadmap that bridges technology-specific plans and coordinates across agencies to align every program behind one mission: commercializing and scaling clean, reliable power fast.
• Unlock federal financing tools: Clean firm technologies require significant upfront capital for first-of-a-kind (FOAK) commercial plants, but are viewed as too risky for many investors. Agencies should coordinate and leverage their financing tools (e.g., loan guarantees) to make clean firm projects bankable and scalable.
• Supercharge our export capabilities: Use the full force of agencies like EXIM Bank, the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and State Department as well as multilateral partners like the World Bank to finance and deploy American clean firm technologies abroad.
• Permitting & Enabling Infrastructure: Many of the best geothermal resources are located on federal lands, necessitating costly environmental reviews, and new nuclear reactor designs must go through complex certifications by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. If we want to build, we must streamline our permitting processes and make them more efficient. And If we want to connect new projects to the grid, we will need to facilitate the rapid buildout of both power lines and pipelines. 

Stay tuned for a future post outlining state-level recommendations to scale clean firm power.

The Window Is Closing

The U.S. pioneered many of these technologies. But without a system that rewards building, we’ll lose to countries that move faster. This is a race for economic strength, industrial leadership, and national security – not just clean energy. 

The technologies are ready. The companies are ready. The demand is here. What’s missing is a plan that ties it all together and unleashes America’s full potential.

At CleanEcon, we’re working to fill that gap. By aligning federal policy, mobilizing state action, and unlocking private capital, we’re building the systems that let clean firm power scale.

Next in our series: How to supercharge innovation and let American breakthroughs move at market speed.