Carol M. Browner opines that New York can lead the way on carbon pollution reduction by supporting existing nuclear plants. We just marked Climate Week in New York - an annual event that brings together scientists, academics, industry, government and leaders to combat climate change in order to preserve our planet while continuing to grow our economy. As a former administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, she has long supported clean air and the need to limit the pollutants that contribute to climate change. This past August, she was pleased to see the EPA release a Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon pollution from existing generation sources in order to make meaningful progress towards a clean energy future. In order for the U.S. to make meaningful reductions in its carbon pollution, she concludes that the U.S. must generate more energy from clean energy sources like wind, solar and other renewables and preserve zero-carbon energy sources like our existing nuclear power fleet. Fortunately, many states are already reducing their carbon pollution by investing in these options and are on their way to meeting carbon pollution reductions outlined in the Clean Power Plan.
While she has always supported cleaner energy and protecting the public health from the dangers of pollution, her views on nuclear power have evolved over time. She came to understand and appreciate that if the U.S. is serious about building a clean energy future, the role that the current nuclear energy facilities play in meeting our energy needs without increasing carbon pollution deserves reconsideration. Just look at the numbers - in 2014, existing nuclear energy plants produced nearly 20% of the U.S. electricity supply, but more importantly, accounted for 63% of all carbon-free electricity, keeping the lights on without polluting the air. So our existing nuclear energy capacity is clearly a key element to a low-carbon energy future.
Original Working URL: https://www.lohud.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/09/30/view-nuclear-power-key-curbing-climate-change/73020808/
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