Clinton Energy Plan Will Help Us Meet Paris Climate Goals?

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

Date posted: 12/15/15

Ron Kirk, ex-member of President Obama Cabinet alongside Hillary Clinton, opines that the international community has come together and finally approved a deal to demonstrate a global commitment to reduce carbon emissions and to keep global warming from rising above the 2 degrees Celsius mark from pre-industrial levels. Clinton has called for an addition of 500 million solar panels by 2020 with enough renewable energy to power every home in America by 2027. Clinton vision is both ambitious and forward-thinking, but unachievable at this historical juncture. A viable alternative is expanding the use of zero-carbon nuclear energy via nuclear power. For production of solar energy to be on par with nuclear energy current electricity output, the country would need 2.5 billion solar panels, an impossible feat by any standard, nor does it make sense economically. This rapid increase will not be possible without expanding nuclear energy beyond its current 20% of U.S. electricity production. To meet Clinton goal for 2050, we must start investing in new nuclear energy facilities and extending the operational licenses of existing plants now. The Clinton plan rightly expresses the value in pursuing the development of advanced nuclear technology known as small modular reactors (SMRs). While still in development, it is anticipated that SMRs can be market-ready in the next 10 years. SMRs are much smaller than traditional nuclear energy facilities and can be built faster, with the added benefit of matching electricity demand as it increases. But even with SMRs on the horizon, our national electricity grid will need the continued electricity production from traditional nuclear energy facilities for decades to come. Nuclear energy facilities produce roughly 60% of carbon-free electricity ... more than all other sources combined. And while Clinton includes advanced nuclear reactor technology as part of her plan, she should go further in ensuring the role for existing plants.