Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
Home Science News

The Biden administration will invest $6bn in keeping nuclear reactors operational

The goal is to help us wean off of fossil fuels.

Alexandru Micu by Alexandru Micu
April 20, 2022
in News, Renewable Energy, Science
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

The USA is embarking on a $6bn program meant to breathe new life into the nuclear plants at risk of closure throughout the country. The move was born from the desire of the Biden administration to ensure that these plants keep supplying carbon-free energy in a bid to help combat climate change.

On Tuesday, April 19th, the US energy department told the Associated Press exclusively that a certification and bidding process has been opened for a civil nuclear credit program. The aim is to bail out those nuclear power reactors that have been struggling financially. It is the largest federal investment with this goal ever undertaken by the U.S. government to date.

Under this project, owners or operators of nuclear reactors that are scheduled for or at risk of shutting down for economic reasons can apply for funding and stay in operation. The first round of funding is earmarked for reactors that have already announced closures. The second will focus on at-risk facilities.

ADVERTISEMENT

The funds for this project were made available through the current administration’s $1tn infrastructure deal, which President Joe Biden signed into law in November.

Sorry to interrupt, but you should really...

...Join the ZME newsletter for amazing science news, features, and exclusive scoops. More than 40,000 subscribers can't be wrong.

   

Continue splitting the atom

“US nuclear power plants contribute more than half of our carbon-free electricity, and President Biden is committed to keeping these plants active to reach our clean energy goals,” energy secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement. “We’re using every tool available to get this country powered by clean energy by 2035, and that includes prioritizing our existing nuclear fleet to allow for continued emissions-free electricity generation and economic stability for the communities leading this important work.”

According to The Guardian, around two-thirds of U.S. states say that nuclear energy, in one form or another, can help progress our move away from fossil fuels.

That being said, the reality on the ground doesn’t really reflect this sentiment. Over the past decade, a dozen commercial nuclear power reactors have ceased activity in the U.S. before their licenses expired. Competition from cheaper energy sources such as natural gas, the low price of electricity, and rising production and maintenance costs are the chief pressures affecting nuclear energy production in the country. Most reactors in the country were built between 1970 and 1990 — only one nuclear plant is currently under construction — and the aging infrastructure means higher maintenance costs.

ADVERTISEMENT

As these reactors shut their gates, the regions they used to supply energy to have recorded rising emission levels, poorer air quality, and losses of thousands of (generally high-paying) jobs, according to the DoE. The agency’s estimates place over a quarter of the current reactor fleet in the U.S. at risk of premature closure.

The U.S. can currently boast 55 commercial nuclear power plants totaling 93 nuclear reactors, spread across 28 states. Nuclear energy provides around 20% of the electricity flowing through the U.S. and roughly half of its carbon-free energy. Out of these, owners of seven currently-operating reactors have announced plans to shut down operations through to 2025. Such installations are the focus of the new program.

Nuclear energy is the one that tends to polarize people the most; some love it, others hate it. However, what is undeniable is that nuclear reactors hold the potential to generate vast amounts of energy for zero emissions, and could represent a very powerful tool in our efforts to combat climate change.

ShareTweetShare
Alexandru Micu

Alexandru Micu

Stunningly charming pun connoisseur, I have been fascinated by the world around me since I first laid eyes on it. Always curious, I'm just having a little fun with some very serious science.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • More

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.