Is nuclear energy environmentally friendly? The U.S. Congress thinks so. The House and Senate passed a bill that gives nuclear energy a boost.
President Biden signed the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act into law on July 9. The bill supports nuclear energy by:
- Reducing the regulatory costs for companies to license advanced nuclear reactor technologies.
- Creating incentives for the successful deployment of next-generation reactor technologies.
- Requiring the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to create a way to enable the timely licensing of microreactors and nuclear facilities at brownfield and retired fossil fuel energy generation sites.
- Directing the NRC to establish an accelerated licensing review process to site and build reactors at existing nuclear sites.
- Modernizing rules that restrict international investment.
Congressional members from both parties praised the bill. Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Chair of our Energy Subcommittee and bill author, called it a “major victory for the American people.” Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ) said the bill gives the “nuclear industry “the framework it needs to strengthen America’s energy leadership.” He believes nuclear energy “plays an important role in producing carbon-free energy.”
“The ADVANCE Act empowers the Commission to better advocate for American nuclear energy in international venues, enlists the Commission in revitalizing retired fossil and brownfield sites, and codifies the timely and efficient licensing of nuclear power as an agency priority.” National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi
From Coal to Nuclear?
Not everyone praises the Congress. Dr. Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), said he finds the passing of the bill by both Congressional Houses “extremely disappointing.” He claims that the bill’s true purpose is “making the reactor licensing process more efficient, (and) weakening safety and security oversight across the board, a longstanding industry goal.”
The bill could pave the way for hundreds of new nuclear power plants. A 2022 Department of Energy (DOE) study found that 80 percent of retired and operating coal power plants evaluated could host an advanced nuclear reactor. A Bellevue, Washington-based company wants to build a Natrium reactor in Wyoming, where a coal plant once operated.
The 345-megawatt electric sodium-cooled reactor will cost $4 billion. In May, the NRC accepted the company’s construction permit application for review. This was the first time in over 40 years that the NBRC docketed an application for a commercial non-light water reactor.
The Environmental and Safety Concerns of Nuclear Energy
There are environmental concerns with nuclear energy, including nuclear waste. Nuclear waste, such as uranium mill tailings and spent reactor fuel, remains radioactive for thousands of years.
Twelve environmental and energy organizations urged Congress, asking them to give $3 billion to the EPA to develop a new standard for the permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. “Current U.S. requirements for a long-term repository are inconsistent with modern international standards and regulations,” the organizations stated in a letter.
While nuclear energy does not directly produce carbon dioxide, mining and refining uranium ore and making reactor fuel is very energy-intensive. The metal and concrete used to build nuclear power plants also require vast amounts of energy to manufacture. Fossil fuels used while mining and refining uranium ore will be associated with the nuclear power plant.
There are also safety concerns about nuclear energy. Many proposed nuclear energy plants will need high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), which has yet to be commercially available in the U.S. HALEU has received billions of government funding. A recent review in the Science journal urges those promoting HALEU to consider “the potential proliferation and terrorism risks that the wide adoption of this fuel creates.”
