CATF Statement: Federal government earns an “incomplete” on nuclear energy
WASHINGTON – President Trump issued four executive orders last week focused on unlocking advanced nuclear energy domestically and abroad.
Clean Air Task Force Executive Director Armond Cohen said:
“Nuclear energy has a potentially large role to play in meeting rising energy demand with emissions-free, reliable and scalable power – and the United States indeed has much to gain by advancing projects domestically and, through exports, globally. But it will take a suite of supportive policies that derisk the first wave of nuclear investments and incentivize private sector participation to scale promising new technologies.
While it is encouraging to see a focus on building a series of large reactors of existing designs and uprates, as well as smaller newer designs, the U.S. will struggle to deploy and build new projects at the scale necessary to tackle energy security and leadership in nuclear technology. In particular, the orders do not highlight or even call for policies to share the financial risk and provide revenue certainty for early large standardized ‘orderbook’ reactor deployment – essential elements for future deployment.
This gap is all the more troubling because they appeared in the same week the House voted to diminish crucial tax credits that reduce the costs of new plants by up to 40% and restrict the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, which is essential to finance the first wave of new plants and is called upon by one of the president’s executive orders to help deploy 10 new, large reactors. Congress must oppose these measures if the U.S. is to have any hope of achieving the goal set by the executive orders to quadruple American nuclear energy capacity and safely export American advanced nuclear energy technologies worldwide.
CATF shares the administration’s goal of unlocking advanced nuclear energy and will continue to advocate for strong government leadership to deliver safe, clean, and reliable nuclear energy at an affordable cost. But to accomplish this, a bolder and more cohesive strategy will be required.”
Press Contact
Samantha Sadowski, Senior Communications Manager, U.S., ssadowski@catf.us, +1 202-440-1717
About Clean Air Task Force
Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is a global nonprofit organization working to safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change by catalyzing the rapid development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies. With more than 25 years of internationally recognized expertise on climate policy and a fierce commitment to exploring all potential solutions, CATF is a pragmatic, non-ideological advocacy group with the bold ideas needed to address climate change. CATF has offices in Boston, Washington D.C., and Brussels, with staff working virtually around the world. Visit catf.us and follow @cleanaircatf.
