FYI policy briefs

AGU offers ethics framework for geoengineering research

The American Geophysical Union released a framework on 22 October proposing ethical principles for geoengineering research. Also known as climate intervention, geoengineering involves large-scale attempts to alter the climate system with the purpose of countering climate change. The unintended consequences of large-scale deployment are largely unknown, and any research into it must be grounded in sound ethical principles, the report states. “The fundamental issue with this field is public trust, and so we offered some ways in which we think public trust would be enhanced,” said Daniele Visioni, one of the framework’s coauthors.

The key principles emphasize responsible assessment of physical, environmental, and social consequences of the research and propose that potentially impacted groups be included in the discussion of research purposes and design. Visioni noted that several proposed small-scale outdoor experiments, such as the Harvard SCoPEx program and the University of Washington CAARE project, have been blocked by local opposition despite meeting the current legal requirements for environmental reviews and the like. He argued that the framework provides a path for projects to avoid such obstacles by proactively engaging stakeholders earlier in the process.

Other principles include making funding and research processes transparent, requiring reviews and approvals from an independent body before research begins, and establishing mechanisms for accountability to public institutions and representatives. Eventually, Visioni hopes the principles are used not just to block unethical research methods but also to foster more projects by providing researchers with a better understanding of responsible practices, he said. —CZ

White House releases national plan for spectrum R&D

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy published its National Spectrum Research and Development Plan on 9 October. The strategy outlines priorities for fundamental and applied spectrum research. It also lays out strategies for the public and private sector to work together to maximize the usefulness of the US’s finite RF spectrum, which is used in a wide range of wireless communications.

Most of the priorities support the goal of dynamic spectrum sharing—an emerging technology that would allow users in the same geographic area to use the same electromagnetic frequency without interfering with each other. Dynamic spectrum sharing was identified as a critical area of development in the National Spectrum Strategy published in November 2023.

The strategy also identifies several interagency “spectrum R&D accelerators,” including data collection, spectrum-sharing simulation environments, and test beds. The report does not, however, share details on where these accelerators should be based nor how they would be funded.

While the Biden administration has expressed a desire to more effectively manage finite spectrum bands, Congress has yet to reinstate the Federal Communications Commission’s spectrum auction authority, which lapsed in March 2023. Earlier this year, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, introduced a bill that would use spectrum auction funds to finance CHIPS and Science Act programs. The bill has not made any progress since April. —LM

DOE and big tech throw support behind nuclear technology

The Department of Energy opened applications in October for up to $900 million in funding for small modular reactors (SMRs). Most of the funds, up to $800 million, are for two Generation III+ SMR projects that are close to a final design, with deployment scheduled for the early 2030s. The other $100 million will provide support for site selection and preparation, supply chain development, design, and licensing. SMR deployment in the US faced a major setback last year when the company NuScale Power terminated plans to build an SMR because of concerns over the reactor’s commercial viability. Amid those headwinds, some lawmakers are seeking to further support advanced reactor development, with the House Appropriations Committee pushing to provide DOE with additional funds to support deployment of at least one SMR.

DOE’s funding notice came as tech giants Amazon and Google both announced agreements to support new SMR projects. Amazon will back the development of four advanced SMRs in Washington and an SMR in Virginia. The company has also invested $500 million in X-energy that the nuclear startup said will fund the completion of the reactor design that will be used for the Washington projects. X-energy’s Xe-100 design has received significant funding through DOE’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. Google has agreed to purchase electricity from multiple SMRs to power its data centers and offices. The company intends to bring the first of those SMRs online by 2030. —CZ