Nuclear Power

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Photo: Nuclear Regulatory Commission

5 Reasons Why HB 6, Ohio’s Nuclear Plant Subsidy Proposal, Should Be Rejected

, director of energy research, Clean Energy

May 16, 2019 10:38 AM EDT

Last November, UCS released Nuclear Power Dilemma, which found that more than one-third of existing nuclear plants, representing 22 percent of total US nuclear capacity, are uneconomic or slated to close over the next decade. This included the Davis-Besse and Perry plants in Ohio that are owned by Akron-based FirstEnergy Solutions. Replacing these plants with natural gas would cause emissions to rise at a time when we need to achieve deep cuts in emissions to limit the worst impacts of climate change.

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7 Things People Got Wrong with our Recent ‘Nuclear Power Dilemma’ Report

, director of energy research, Clean Energy

November 16, 2018 1:29 PM EDT

On November 8, UCS released The Nuclear Power Dilemma: Declining Profits, Plant Closures, and the Threat of Rising Carbon Emissions, which found that more than one-third of existing nuclear plants, representing 22 percent of total US nuclear capacity, is uneconomic or slated to close over the next decade. Unfortunately, some of the media coverage and statements by the nuclear industry and other groups have mischaracterized our report and our past work. Here are seven points to correct the record. Read more >

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Photo courtesy of Sen. Martin Heinrich

Senate Should Reject Trump’s Coal-Friendly Energy Commission Nominee

, senior writer

November 14, 2018 9:01 AM EDT

 

The steady parade of ideologically driven appointees for key Trump administration positions has resumed now that things in Washington have settled down after the mid-term elections. Last week, Trump tapped Matthew G. Whitaker to replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions. This Thursday, the Senate will hold a hearing to confirm attorney Bernard McNamee to fill a vacancy at the five-member, presidentially appointed Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), a relatively obscure—but critically important—independent agency that oversees interstate power lines and pipelines.

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Forget the Trump Bailout—Here’s a Real Solution for Nuclear and the Climate

, director of gov't affairs, Climate & Energy

November 13, 2018 10:01 AM EDT

The Trump Administration’s proposal is a bad idea predicated on a made-up problem. Here’s a better approach. Read more >

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The 908 MW Davis-Besse nuclear power plant, owned by FirstEnergy and located 21 miles east of Toledo, Ohio on Lake Erie. Photo: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Even in a Carbon-Constrained World, FirstEnergy’s Nuclear Bailout Proposal in Ohio Must Be Rejected

, director of state policy & analysis, Clean Energy

November 8, 2018 12:01 AM EDT

A new report, The Nuclear Power Dilemma, released today by my UCS colleagues, finds that more than one-third of the nation’s nuclear power fleet – that provides more than 20 percent of the country’s nuclear power – are uneconomic or slated to retire over the next decade primarily due to economic, safety, and performance reasons. FirstEnergy is now seeking a bailout from the Ohio legislature to keep two of the uneconomic plants open. In a world where the threat of climate change is increasingly dire and the need to dramatically cut carbon emissions is even more urgent, every source of zero-carbon energy is important. But make no mistake: FirstEnergy’s bailout proposals for its struggling nuclear plants are poorly conceived and must be rejected. Here’s why. Read more >

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