Nuclear power is the largest source of zero-emissions power in the U.S., and this factor alone makes it the best source to handle the climate crisis.
It has been a challenge meeting clean energy goals as the demand for electricity grows. A growing number of political leaders in both parties are now taking a fresh look at nuclear power – including extending the life of existing reactors and building new ones.
The New York Times cites the Diable Canyon power plant in California, the state’s sole remaining nuclear power plant – that is scheduled to be shut down in 2025. The thing is this: The search for clean energy has given nuclear power a shot in the arm, even winning over skeptics.
Not only is nuclear power the cleanest source of energy, but it is now gaining bipartisan support that is adding billions in funding for existing and new projects.
Nuclear currently contributes nearly one-fifth of all electricity generated in the U.S., according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and is the biggest single source of power that does not directly create carbon emissions.
Critics of nuclear power have a voice, too
However, nuclear does have its critics and they need to be heard, too. Number one – the technology has not changed to any great degree over the years, and aging facilities are in need of costly improvements.
Secondly, and this is a big one – humankind has still not figured out how to safely dispose of nuclear waste that has a half-life of thousands of years. And then there are the steep cost overruns for new projects that are already years late and may never be completed.
Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said nuclear’s “unique liabilities and risks, both with regards to safety and security” also must be a part of any discussion over its usefulness. He points to the 2011 meltdown at a plant in Fukushima, Japan, and Russia’s shelling of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, earlier this year as examples of what can go wrong.
Tackling the Climate Crisis is imperative
Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, speaking in Stockholm in June, warned the world, reports CNBC News. “We need to change course — now — and end our senseless and suicidal war against nature,” he said.
“There is one thing that threatens all our progress. The climate crisis. Unless we act now, we will not have a livable planet,” Guterres said. “Scientists recently reported that there is a 50-50 chance that we could temporarily breach the Paris Agreement limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius in the next five years.”
President Joe Biden wants to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from the power industry by 2035, and he said a Supreme Court ruling last week limiting federal regulatory authority would not halt such efforts.
In an effort to keep more power plants open, the federal government began subsidizing older nuclear plants, opening up a $6 billion fund authorized in 2021’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act this year, according to NPR.org.
That law also set aside an additional $2.477 billion for research and development of advanced nuclear reactor technology.
“Have no doubt, President Biden is serious about doing everything possible to get the U.S. powered by clean energy,” Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Kathryn Huff said, adding, “Nuclear energy is really essential to this.”
To proponents of nuclear energy, we have reached a pivotal moment. Coupled with solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, they say, nuclear power would make 100 percent clean energy possible.