nuclear-news

The Biden administration wants to go all-in on nuclear energy. Not all Democrats are on-board.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm floats federal subsidies for nuclear power plants

The Biden administration wants to go all-in on nuclear energy. Not all Democrats are on-board.

By Rich Edson |Fox News, 9 May 21,  “The DOE has not historically subsidized plants but I think this is a moment to consider and perhaps in the American Jobs Plan or somewhere to make sure that we keep the current fleet active,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, in a hearing Thursday before a House Appropriations subcommittee………..

“The DOE has not historically subsidized plants but I think this is a moment to consider and perhaps in the American Jobs Plan or somewhere to make sure that we keep the current fleet active,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, in a hearing Thursday before a House Appropriations subcommittee.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has said the US should phase out nuclear power by 2035.  In Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) Green New Deal pledge, he calls nuclear power a “false solution” and argues that “toxic waste byproducts of nuclear plants are not worth the risks of the technology’s benefit, especially in light of lessons learned from the Fukushima meltdown and the Chernobyl disaster.”

“Paying to keep aging reactors online is courting disaster and guaranteed to slow the deployment of truly clean renewables,” said Lukas Ross, the program manager of Friends of the Earth. “Congress and President Biden should not throw good money after bad.”

Opponents point to the massive expense and cost overruns related to building new reactors. Once they’re operational, they face significant security costs and completion from falling prices of other renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

There’s also nuclear waste. The U.S. has over 80,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel from commercial nuclear power plants, according to the Government Accountability Office. Most spent nuclear fuel is stored at reactor sites around the country.

The administration’s decision to support nuclear could also affect other sources as the US tries to meet its aggressive emissions pledge……….  https://www.foxnews.com/politics/jennifer-granholm-floats-federal-subsidies-for-nuclear-power-plants

May 10, 2021 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA