Financial Times - Shutting down nuclear makes no sense

Shutting Down Nuclear Power Plants Makes No Sense

By Heather Hoff and Kristin Zaitz, Mothers for Nuclear

Across Europe, countries are shutting down nuclear power plants. It’s happening in the U.S. as well. To us, it doesn’t make sense.

Across the U.S., we are closing perfectly good existing nuclear plants because of low natural gas prices and discriminatory policies that, in the name of climate action, support renewables but not carbon-free nuclear energy. When existing nuclear plants close, they are almost always replaced by fossil fuels. Even if we make big gains on adding renewables, the strategy of replacing one clean energy source with another means backwards or no progress on climate. It also means that we pay more: building new clean energy to replace existing clean energy means spending money for little to no actual emissions reductions. This high cost for low progress is also causing polarizing political conversations when it comes to action on climate. 

Instead of continuing to rely on the renewables-only bandwagon, we need to focus on building public support for nuclear energy. There is growing public awareness on the importance of using science to inform our decisions as a nation. The science is clear—nuclear is the safest way of generating reliable electricity. Of all of the “clean” energy sources, nuclear occupies the smallest land footprint per unit of energy produced, and we have the technology right now. We cannot continue to delay action on climate until some future solution is produced. 

Heather Hoff and Kristin Zaitz

San Luis Obispo, California

USA

Originally published in Financial Times (subscription service)

Image is Indian Point Energy Center in New York, shut down in April, 2021.