Nuclear Energy Key to Bolstering National Security and Protecting Environment

Uranium (Nuclear Minerals) / Nuclear Power - Economics, Design, & Industry

Date posted: 05/21/15

Former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman (R-N.J.) writes that this is a pivotal time for those of us who have concluded that the development of clean energy solutions like nuclear energy is the key to protecting the environment and bolstering American national security. This summer, the EPA will finalize its Clean Power Plan and this fall, the United Nations will convene in Paris to agree to a framework for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. For these plans to succeed, leaders need solidify a role for emissions-free nuclear energy. In my former roles as governor of New Jersey and administrator of the EPA, I have strived to help Americans make informed decisions, especially when it comes to the public policy of climate change, environmental protection and national security. In my current role as co-chair of the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition, I have traveled across the U.S. engaging policymakers, community leaders, business leaders, academics and labor leaders about the essential role nuclear energy plays in generating electricity. In the U.S., our electricity needs are forecasted to grow 29 percent by 2040. This time-frame highlights the need for a national energy policy that focuses on the future through investment in infrastructure while maintaining our current portfolio of clean energy solutions. Nuclear energy, with its stable production price and reliable output, has an important role to play. Nuclear energy already provides more than 64 percent of our clean-air electricity, and its long-term benefits simply cannot be replaced by any other energy source, especially when we consider the long-term impacts of climate change. The United States has been at the forefront of nuclear energy for nearly 70 years and the benefits it has provided to our health, the environment and national security are countless. To address the leading issues of our time, from climate change and energy diversity to nonproliferation and economic security.