Plant Vogtle in Georgia recently became the largest nuclear power plant in the U.S., with its final unit connecting to the grid at the end of April. Vogtle is also home to the first newly constructed reactors built in the country in three decades, signaling that American nuclear energy leadership is set to make a comeback. The time is now for a nationwide effort – from Georgia to the halls of Congress – to capitalize on this milestone and unleash this critical clean energy source.
In Washington, a compromised bipartisan, bicameral nuclear energy package has gained additional momentum this week – just passing the House – and can be signed into law this Congress. Led by Representatives Jeff Duncan and Diana DeGette in the House and Senators Shelley Moore Capito, Tom Carper, and Sheldon Whitehouse, the bill would reduce licensing costs, preserve existing nuclear plants, streamline permitting, and bolster the nuclear workforce.
Although we can celebrate Plant Vogtle becoming the largest generator of clean energy in the nation, producing more than 30 million megawatt hours of carbon-free, baseload electricity annually, it did not come online without challenges. We should learn lessons from Vogtle and ensure that future investments aren’t hindered by unfounded skepticism and regulatory barriers.
Nuclear energy is one of the safest, cleanest, and most reliable energy sources available today. Even better, nuclear energy safety statistics are on par with solar and wind. It also has some of the lowest lifecycle emissions of available electricity sources, while providing power 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Plant Vogtle, for instance, will power over 2 million homes in Georgia for the next 60-80 years. This energy source must be a tool in our effort to solve climate change while simultaneously providing reliable and affordable power to Americans.
The challenge is that decades of stringent regulations and anti-nuclear sentiment have set us back. Instead of getting more efficient at building nuclear power plants and investing in next-gen technologies, we have increasingly become less efficient resulting in time and cost overruns. To capitalize on the efforts at Plant Vogtle, we must pursue more projects like it. The more experience we have with building these power plants, the more we will improve over time, ultimately lowering costs and shortening project timelines. Implementing policies that cut government red tape and facilitate the buildout of this clean energy, like the advanced nuclear package that could make its way to the President’s desk soon, will be critical to making this happen.
Even at the state level, lawmakers are acknowledging nuclear energy’s potential. In fact, in 2023, state legislatures considered 200 pro-nuclear bills and have already considered 130 this year. Colorado is a great example of this surge in state-level efforts. Over the past few years, the state has considered multiple nuclear-friendly bills. We testified in favor of several of these in the state legislature, and despite them dying in committee, the effort resulted in the formation of a bipartisan Nuclear Caucus. Not to mention that the bills garnered broad support from politically diverse community members who recognize the importance of bolstering nuclear energy as a clean energy source.
Although nuclear-friendly policies that remove government red tape could help unleash this energy source and reduce costs, the fact of the matter is that nuclear energy naturally comes with high capital costs. Still, recent economic feasibility studies conducted in different parts of the U.S. have proven that nuclear power is worth the investment.
In Michigan, the estimated value-add of a nuclear plant to a community was nearly $4 billion over the plant’s lifetime. In the Southeast, the nuclear energy industry generates $43 billion in economic impacts. Yes, nuclear energy is expensive at first, but once online it provides reliable, affordable power and creates long-term, high-paying jobs that far outweigh the up-front investment. Not only is nuclear energy reliable and clean, but it is also cost-effective in the long run.
Across the nation, nuclear energy is making a comeback, and it’s no surprise why. We must continue advocating for this clean energy source from Capitol Hill to individual states and communities. The energy grid of tomorrow depends on it.
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