Nuclear energy plays an essential role in our country’s clean energy future. The generation of electricity from nuclear plants contributes no carbon dioxide or air pollution and is among the country’s largest sources of clean energy.
Reducing nuclear’s role in our energy portfolio could have devastating environmental impacts to our country and make it nearly impossible for us to meet our clean energy or carbon reduction goals. Nuclear energy produces more clean electricity than all other sources combined, and is the only source that can produce large amounts of electricity around the clock, 365 days a year. Overall, nuclear accounted for 60 percent of America’s clean energy generation in 2016.
The carbon-free benefits of nuclear are immense. Existing nuclear plants prevented 554 million metric tons of CO2 emissions in 2016. That is equivalent to the emissions of nearly 135 million cars, which exceeds the total number of U.S. passenger cars currently on the road. Additionally, the energy provided by nuclear avoids over 500 million tons of carbon and 650,000 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions each year. The combined social cost of these emissions is valued at $33.4 billion annually.
Advanced nuclear technology has the potential to prevent even more greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuels are currently the only energy source capable of reaching high enough temperatures to power industrial furnaces, which emit 1.4 trillion tons of greenhouse gasses annually. While renewable energy sources and current nuclear reactors cannot reach temperatures needed for industrial furnaces, some advanced reactors have the potential to replace fossil fuels for this and other purposes.
We have seen attempts to phase out nuclear energy create devastating environmental impacts internationally and in states throughout the U.S. In Germany, the phase-out of nuclear plants is estimated to have caused a 25 million ton increase in carbon emissions. In the U.S., states that have closed nuclear plants have seen significant increases in carbon emissions. In California, closing the San Onofre plant in 2012 contributed to a 35 percent increase in carbon emissions, and Vermont witnessed a 650,000 ton increase in just the two months following the closure of the Vermont Yankee plant.
The detrimental impact of phasing out nuclear energy is clear. In the fight against climate change, supporting nuclear plants and investing in advanced nuclear technology could be a difference maker.
for supporting nuclear jobs
A new report from The Brattle Group details the significant economic and environmental benefits of nuclear power plants in Ohio.