NEI reports that industry experts, legislators, administration officials and other stakeholders this week gathered to identify policy solutions that are increasingly needed at the state and federal levels to keep existing nuclear reactors operating in the U.S. Speaking at a summit held by the U.S. DoE in Washington, D.C., Nuclear Energy Institute President, Marvin Fertel, sounded a somber warning about recent premature closures of otherwise high-performing nuclear power plants and the threat of further early shutdowns because of continued market distortions that do not adequately value nuclear energy attributes. W
e have some real challenges for our existing fleet, which is an exceptionally well-performing fleet, Fertel said. We have a systemic problem, and unless we address the systemic problem, we are going to have a bigger problem. We see another 15 to 20 plants at risk of premature shutdown over the next five to ten years. But Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said that nuclear must remain a viable part of the electricity-generating portfolio especially if the emissions reduction goals of the Clean Power Plan are to be met. If we think in terms of 60-year lifetimes [for nuclear power plants], then the 2030s become a really critical time. What we are discussing today in this workshop, I like to think of as a bridge over these next 15 years to a time when nuclear is going to have to see a substantial resurgence to be a significant contributor to our carbon goals, Moniz said. We are prepared to take action. Fertel agreed that preserving operating reactors requires real action now.
He put forward the idea of having states adopt clean energy standards that include nuclear energy, instead of renewable energy standards which only credit energy sources like wind, hydropower and solar.
Original working URL: https://www.nei.org/news/2019/doe-continues-support-advanced-nuclear-fuel
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