Radiant, a Nucleation portfolio company working to mass produce portable nuclear microreactors, was selected by the Department of Energy to receive an allocation of HALEU fuel for its first test of Kaleidos, the group’s reactor design.
Friedrich Merz, head of the newly elected winning German coalition, proposes a fundamental shift in energy policy by rethinking Germany's nuclear approach and initiating a major expansion of thermal energy facilities.
Published by Valerie Gardner in Brilliant thinkers, Carbon emissions, Climate change, Climate policy, Energy transition, Fission, Future of Energy, Government support, History-making, INTERNATIONAL NEWS, International support for nuclear, LINKS, Politicians supporting nuclear, Regulatory reform, Zero emission energy
Swedish nuclear energy company Blykalla, a Nucleation portfolio company, and Norway’s Norsk Kjernekraft have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the possible deployment of Blykalla’s SEALER reactor design in Scandinavia.
Published by Valerie Gardner in Advanced Nuclear, Advanced Nuclear Customers, Climate policy, Energy abundance, Fission, Future of Energy, International Collaboration, INTERNATIONAL NEWS, NEWS, Portfolio Venture
By Valerie Gardner, Nucleation Capital Managing Partner
Presidential elections are always important and this year's election is widely considered particularly critical and unusual. There are vast differences of opinion on matters of great national importance—from voting rights and health policies to international relations and national security policies. Less well litigated is where these candidates stand on matters of energy security, the energy transition and future deployments of both traditional and advanced nuclear power. How will the differences in character, knowledge and respect for facts, science and experts play out on U.S. policies towards nuclear power? Based upon various sources, it appears that the election will have a significant impact. For those still making up their minds, this summary assessment may help clarify how numerous pundits view these differences.
Summary
Nuclear energy has enjoyed enduring bipartisan support across both Democratic and Republican administrations for years now. The Congress has passed, with overwhelming bipartisan majorities, bills aimed at modernizing and accelerating commercialization of new nuclear.
Nevertheless, in 2024, the two presidential candidates bring potentially unconventional approaches that may differ from the standard positions of their respective parties. Republicans have long valued America's nuclear capacity and have seen the need for the US to maintain leadership to boost both national security and to expand our ability to export our technologies. They recognize that the U.S. needs to counter the geopolitical influence of adversaries like Russia and China which are offering to help developing nations with nuclear power as a means of increasing their influence within those countries.
Democrats have also, if more recently, come around to support nuclear. Both the Obama White House and the Biden Administration have provided broad support for the industry and particularly for the acceleration of next-generation nuclear technologies and American leadership in the energy transition. Front and center of their support is the recognition that nuclear power is a critical, differentiated component of a reliable, 24/7 low-carbon energy grid. They support its expansion primarily as a mechanism to meet growing energy needs and fortify grid reliability while reducing carbon emissions and addressing climate change, in tandem with renewables.
The question then of which candidate is more likely to support the continued acceleration of nuclear power is thus wrapped up with policies relating to energy security, fossil fuels, geopolitical competition with Russia and China, and support for addressing climate change. The Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022 and signed by President Biden marked the Congress' single largest investment in the economy, energy security and climate change and is widely seen as the most important piece of climate legislation ever passed. It simultaneously rebuilds the U.S. industrial capabilities while incentivizing the growth of clean energy technologies including domestic nuclear power. It is already making an enormous and beneficial impact on the U.S. nuclear indsutry.
Kamala Harris, while possibly more progressive than Biden, has shown her support for Biden's approach to incentivizing the clean energy transition through the IRA, Biden's signature piece of climate legislation, which has received staunch support from industry. She is unlikely to make many if any changes to the IRA's clean energy technology-neutral Investment Tax Credits and Production Tax Credits or reduce the billions in loan guarantees available through the Loan Program Office, which have already stimulated significant investment in protecting and restarting existing reactors.
Because of Biden’s Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act’s Civil Nuclear Credit program, California is proceeding with the relicensing of Diablo Canyon, Holtec has chosen to restart, rather than decommission, Michigan’s Palisades nuclear power plant, Constellation has inked a deal with Microsoft to restart Three Mile Island Unit 2, and NextEra Energy is actively considering the restart of Duane Arnold. Meanwhile, Google has signed a deal to buy power from advanced nuclear reactors being designed by Kairos Power and Amazon has signed a similar deal with X-energy, marking the first corporate purchases of next-generation nuclear, thanks to highly motivating tax and financing incentives available through the IRA and LPO.
Harris is clearly committed to addressing climate change. There is no evidence that she rejects the clean energy tech-agnostic approach developed during her term as Vice President, which levels the playing field for nuclear energy as a clean energy source. Harris recognizes the geopolitical importance of America's ability to compete with Russia to produce our own nuclear fuel supply and to provide nuclear technologies to developing nations seeking to build their clean energy capacity but wanting to remain free of Russian or Chinese influence.
In contrast, Donald Trump has repeatedly called climate change a "hoax," and/or a good thing and cares little about reducing U.S. or global emissions. He previously walked away from the Paris accord and would likely try to repeal, roll back or dilute the IRA. He's publicly allied himself with the fossil fuel industry and—in exchange for donations—has promised to roll back EPA regulations and help them "drill, drill, drill."
There is almost no doubt that Trump would step the U.S. away from its leadership role on climate and this time, that may mean reversing the U.S.'s pledge to triple the amount of nuclear power. This would seriously undermine both the U.S. nuclear industry's momentum to expand to meet growing demand as well as international progress. Given Trump’s overt courting of Putin, he may be disinclined to rebuild the U.S.'s nuclear fuel production capacity or seek to accelerate or support American efforts to build nuclear projects internationally in competition with Russia.
None of this would be good for nuclear power. Any potential efforts to rollback the IRA would slow restoration, development and deployment of reactors. Boosting the fossil fuel industry, whether through supporting expanded access to federal land or price manipulation to improve profitability would have severe impacts on the energy transition. Trump's recent acknowledgement that he didn't believe nuclear was safe also belies the stated "commitment" to nuclear energy expressed by his surrogates and gives considerable fodder to those who persist in opposing nuclear. His shoot-from-the-hip, truth-be-damned leadership style and embrace of conspiracy theorists, contrasts starkly with Harris' stated willingness to consult with scientific experts and even give those who disagree with her a seat at the table.
In sumary, Trump's likely propensity to undermine the IRA, oppose climate action and backtrack on US pledges to triple nuclear, his support for expanding fossil fuel production and his continued disdain for science and technical experts, poses extreme risks to the momentum generated within the nuclear sector over the last few years. Trump's ignorance of nuclear energy's exceptional safety performance make him unlikely to provide Oval Office leadership either to the industry or the NRC in support of the bipartisan ADVANCE Act, signed into law by Biden.
In contrast, a Harris Administration would likely remain on the current climate glideslope for leadership, technology-neutral funding and the U.S.'s nuclear tripling momentum as stimulated by the Biden Administration. It may be that a Harris Administration does not prioritize nuclear's growth or add billions in new accelerants as Biden has done, but she will not try to trash it. Having been briefed by senior energy advisors over the last four years about the importance of nuclear, she is well-informed and understands the importance of Biden's initiatives for addressing climate.
Based on this analysis, those who support an expansion of nuclear power and enduring progress towards transitioning away from fossil fuels should thus prefer to see Harris elected, rather than Trump, and the existing policies continued.
Sources
You can find more detailed information about the basis for this Summary Assessment from these sources.
- Forbes, Trump Plans To Rescind Funds For IRA Law’s Climate Provisions, But May Keep Drug Price Measures, by Joshua P. Cohen, Sept. 9, 2024.
- Bloomberg, US Economy Will Suffer If IRA Repealed, Solar Maker CEO Says, by Mark Chediak, Oct. 22, 2024.
- Politico E&E News, Trump cites cost and risks of building more nuclear plants, by Nico Portuondo, Francisco "A.J." Camacho, Oct. 29, 2024.
- Huffington Post, Donald Trump Takes A Skeptical View Of Nuclear Energy On Joe Rogan’s Podcast, by Alexander Kaufman, Oct. 27, 2024
- Bloomberg, Trump 2.0 Climate Tipping Points: A guide to what a second Trump White House can—and can't—do to the American effort to slow global warming, by Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Sept. 30, 2024.
- Joint Economic Committee, How Project 2025's Health, Education, and Climate Policies Hurt Americans, August 2024.
- FactCheck.org, Trump Clings to Inaccurate Climate Change Talking Points, Jessica McDonald, Sept. 9, 2024.
- New York Times, Trump Will Withdraw U.S. From Paris Climate Agreement, Michael D. Shear, June 1, 2017
- Cipher: Here's how cleantech stacks up in three swing states: Taking stock of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, Sept. 3, 2024.
- Bloomberg Green, Climate Politics: Double-Punch Storms Thrust Climate Into the US Presidential Race, by Zahra Hirji, Oct. 11, 2024.
- New York Times, Biden’s Climate Plans Are Stunted After Dejected Experts Fled Trump, by Coral DavenportLisa Friedman and Christopher Flavelle, published Aug. 1, 2021, updated Sept. 20, 2021
- Bloomberg, The Donald Trump Interview Transcript (with quote "Green New Scam"), July 16, 2024.
- Google: New nuclear clean energy agreement with Kairos Power, by Michael Terrell, Oct. 15, 2024, and Google's The Corporate Role in Accelerating Advanced Clean Electricity Technologies, Sept. 2023.
- The New Republic, Trump Pushes Deranged Idea that Climate Change is Good for Real Estate, by Robert McCoy, Sept. 18, 2024.
- Grid Brief: What Was Said About Energy During the VP Debate, JD Vance and Tim Walz Discuss Energy and Climate During VP Debate, by Jeff Luse, Oct. 2, 2024.
- CNN: Fact check: Sea levels are already rising faster per year than Trump claims they might rise over "next 497 years', by Daniel Dale, June 29, 2024.
- CNN: Fact check: Tramp's latest false climate figure is off by more than 1,000 times, by Daniel Dale, April 2023.
- Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, YPCCC's Resources on Climate in the 2024 U.S. General Election, by Anthony Leiserowitz, Edward Maibach, Jennifer Carman, Jennifer Marlon, John Kotcher, Seth Rosenthal and Joshua Low, Oct. 8, 2024.
- SIGNED: Bipartisan ADVANCE Act to Boost Nuclear Energy Now Law, Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, July 9, 2024.
- Rodgers, Pallone, Carper, Capito Celebrate Signing of Bipartisan Nuclear Energy Bill, the ADVANCE Act, July 9, 2024.
- The White House, Bill Signed S. 870, July 9, 2024.
- Power Magazine, The ADVANCE Act—Legislation Crucial for a U.S. Nuclear Renaissance—Clears Congress. Here's a Detailed Breakdown by Sonal Patel, June 20, 2024
- Sidley Austin LLP, Congress Passes ADVANCE Act to Facilitate U.S. Development of Advanced Nuclear Reactors, June 26, 2024.
Published by Valerie Gardner in 100% Renewables, Advanced Nuclear, Advanced Nuclear Customers, Biden-Harris Administration, Capital reallocation, Carbon emissions, Carbon markets, Climate change, Climate mayhem, Climate policy, Construction costs, Energy abundance, Energy transition, Fission, Fossil fuels, Fusion, Future of Energy, Government support, International Collaboration, International support for nuclear, Investor activity, NEWS, Nuclear competitiveness, Nuclear innovation, Nuclear maritime propulsion, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Nuclear-inclusive energy policy, Politicians supporting nuclear, Pronuclear States, Regulatory reform, Solving climate, Solving nuclear waste, Uranium & Mining, US competitiveness, US technological leadership, Zero emission energy
Nucleation Capital is pleased to sponsor Uplifting Humanity, Nuclear New York's UNGA Science Summit symposium during Climate Week NYC. This event is a collaboration with the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability and Generation Atomic to advance conversations around nuclear energy and sustainable development. This in-person event on Roosevelt Island will be simulcast globally as part of the UNGA Science Summit. This year’s nuclear symposium will bring together energy and technology investors, delegations of emerging economies, economic development organizations, and international climate/environment groups to discuss opportunities and challenges in scaling up this clean energy technology.
- Nuclear Symposium 2024 will bring together energy and technology investors, delegations of emerging economies, economic development organizations, and international climate-environmental groups to advance conversations on the opportunities and challenges of scaling up this clean energy technology.
Doors open at 9:00 am with coffee, doughnuts and networking and the day gets kicked off with opening remarks from Grace Stanke, crowned Miss American for 2023, who devoted her year in the limelight to advocating for nuclear energy. Topics to follow include: The Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Energy Abundance, System Level Challenges for Decarbonization and more. The day will rap up (literally), with a RapUp by Dex McBean and Nathanology.
The list of confirmed speakers is long and impressive and includes:
- Amir Adnani, Uranium Energy Corp.
- Jason Albritton, The Nature Conservancy
- Dr. Lindsay Anderson, Cornell University
- Dr. Dinara Ermakova, Anthropocene Institute and Generation Atomic
- Scott Lathrop, yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini (ytt) Tribe, California
- Alexander Kaufman, Huffington Post
- Julie Kozeracki, U.S. Department of Energy
- Nana Menya Ayensu, The White House
- Jacques Moserri, Curio Legacy Ventures
- Patrick O'Brien, Holtec International
- Charles Oppenheimer, Oppenheimer Project
- Angelica Oung, Anthropocene Institute and Clean Energy Transition Alliance
- Carl Perez, Exodys Energy
- Ryan Pickering, DOE Consent-Based Siting Consortia Facilitator
- Tricia Pridemore, Georgia Public Service Commission
- Edward Rios, EXIM Bank
- Dr. Leonard Rodberg, Professor Emeritus of Queens College NY
- Erich Scherer, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
- Dr. Charlyne Smith, Electric Power Research Institute
- Dr. Robert Sogbadji, Ghanaian Ministry of Energy
- Dr. Nick Touran, What Is Nuclear and TerraPower LLC
- Tea Törmänen, WePlanet
Click here to learn more about the Nuclear Symposium and register to attend.
SIGNED: Bipartisan ADVANCE Act to Boost Nuclear Energy Now Law
Newspaper articles are not yet out, so the following comes directly from the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works Minority press release, issued jointly by Senate EPW leaders and House Commerce Committee leaders upon the signing of the legislation by President Biden. (For Nucleation Capital's reaction, please read "Biden Signs the ADVANCE Act," which is available on our blog.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the president signed into law the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act, bipartisan legislation to provide a major boost to the future of nuclear energy in America.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, EPW Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.), U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.-05), Chair of the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee, and U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the below statements celebrating the enactment of the bipartisan bill (S.870), which passed the Senate by a vote of 88-2 and passed the House by a vote of 393-13.
“With the ADVANCE Act being signed into law, we secured a landmark win for the future of nuclear energy here in America,” EPW Ranking Member Capito said. “Getting substantive, bipartisan policy across the finish line isn’t always easy, but this is the result of years of work to build widespread consensus about the benefits of advanced nuclear reactors to our electric grid, economy, and environment. I’m thrilled the ADVANCE Act is now law to enable the deployment of new nuclear and help keep the United States as the world’s nuclear energy leader.”
“Today is a momentous day for our climate and America’s clean energy future,” EPW Chairman Carper said. “The urgency of the climate crisis demands a swift transition to cleaner energy sources, and fortunately the ADVANCE Act helps us to do just that. This bipartisan law will strengthen our energy and national security, lower greenhouse gas emissions and create thousands of new jobs, while ensuring the continued safety of this zero-emissions energy source. I’m thankful to each of my colleagues and their staffs who helped write, pass and deliver this bill to the President’s desk.”
“The Energy and Commerce Committee has a rich history of advancing major bipartisan solutions, and I’m extremely proud that our years of hard work to strengthen American nuclear energy have paid off with this significant legislation that will improve energy reliability and reduce costs for American families and businesses,” E&C Chair McMorris Rodgers said. “This is a major victory for the American people and will help cement U.S. energy leadership for decades to come. I want to thank everyone who has worked tirelessly to get this legislation signed into law, especially the Chair of our Energy Subcommittee and bill author Rep. Jeff Duncan.”
“Nuclear power plays an important role in producing carbon-free power for our electric grid, and now our nuclear industry will have the framework it needs to strengthen America’s energy leadership,” E&C Ranking Member Pallone said. “By ensuring we can deploy safer and more reliable nuclear power, the ADVANCE Act will help combat our dependence on dirty fossil fuels, strengthening our energy independence and securing our economic security. I’m grateful to have worked alongside my colleagues to get this across the finish line.”
The ADVANCE Act will:
- Facilitate American Nuclear Energy Leadership by:
- Empowering the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to lead in international forums to develop regulations for advanced nuclear reactors.
- Directing the Department of Energy (DOE) to improve its process for approving the export of American technology to international markets, while maintaining strong standards for nuclear non-proliferation.
- Support Development and Deployment of New Nuclear Energy Technologies by:
- Reducing regulatory costs for companies seeking to license advanced nuclear reactor technologies.
- Creating a prize to incentivize the successful deployment of next-generation reactor technologies.
- Requiring the NRC to develop a pathway 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 construct reactors at existing nuclear sites.
- Preserve Existing Nuclear Energy by:
- Modernizing outdated rules that restrict international investment.
- Strengthen America’s Nuclear Energy Fuel Cycle and Supply Chain Infrastructure by:
- Directing the NRC to enhance its ability to qualify and license accident-tolerant fuels and advanced nuclear fuels that can increase safety and economic competitiveness for existing reactors and the next generation of advanced reactors.
- Tasking the NRC to evaluate advanced manufacturing techniques to build nuclear reactors better, faster, cheaper, and smarter.
- Improve Commission Resources and Efficiency by:
- Providing flexibility for the NRC to better manage and invest its resources in activities that support NRC’s modernization efforts and address staffing issues.
- Providing the NRC Chair the tools to hire and retain exceptionally well-qualified individuals to successfully and safely review and process applications for advanced nuclear reactor licenses.
- Requiring the NRC to update its Mission Statement to reflect modern beneficial use of nuclear material and energy.
- Mandating the NRC to establish a licensing structure to support an efficient, timely, and predictable regulatory review.
- Charging the NRC to streamline the NEPA environmental review process.
Sources
You can find more detailed information about the rest of the act from these excellent sources.
- SIGNED: Bipartisan ADVANCE Act to Boost Nuclear Energy Now Law, Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, July 9, 2024.
- Rodgers, Pallone, Carper, Capito Celebrate Signing of Bipartisan Nuclear Energy Bill, the ADVANCE Act, July 9, 2024.
- The White House, Bill Signed S. 870, July 9, 2024.
- The ADVANCE Act—Legislation Crucial for a U.S. Nuclear Renaissance—Clears Congress. Here's a Detailed Breakdown by Sonal Patel, Power Magazine June 20, 2024
- Congress Passes ADVANCE Act to Facilitate U.S. Development of Advanced Nuclear Reactors Sidley Austin LLP, June 26, 2024
Published by Nucleation Capital in Advanced Nuclear, Biden-Harris Administration, Brilliant thinkers, Climate policy, Energy abundance, Energy transition, Future of Energy, Government support, History Timeline, History-making, LINKS, Nuclear competitiveness, Nuclear innovation, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Regulatory reform, US competitiveness, US technological leadership, Zero emission energy
Alexander C. Kaufman, writing in the Huffington Post, called the ADVANCE (Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy) Act "the biggest clean-energy bill since Biden's climate law." What it really is, is legislation designed to "reverse the American nuclear industry’s decades-long decline and launch a reactor-building spree to meet surging demand for green electricity at home and to catch up with booming rivals overseas." And, according to Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), a “much needed modernization of our nuclear regulatory framework.”
There are a number of very important provisions in the bill but, one of the most important is the provision which tasks the NRC with rewriting its mission statement so as to avoid unduly limiting nuclear and thereby preventing efforts to allow society to benefit from its clean power. The bill also reduces the fees charged to developers and helps speed up the process for licensing new reactors, hiring key staff and coordinating with foreign regulators to speed deployments.
The passage of the ADVANCE Act continues a long-term trend of strong bipartisan unity on nuclear-related bills, demonstrating agreement by Democrats and Republicans on the importance of expanding clean and reliable energy. The House of Representatives had previously passed its corresponding legislation by a vote of 365 to 36, strengthening and expanding upon the version passed back in July by the Senate.
“Republicans and Democrats recognize the development of new nuclear technologies is critical to America’s energy security and our environment,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), the bill’s lead sponsor, said on the Senate floor Tuesday evening. “Today, nuclear power provides about 20% of our nation’s electricity. Importantly, it’s emissions-free electricity that is 24/7, 365 days a year.”
“This bipartisan policy creates the framework for companies to start building that order book for a second project and a third project and ultimately get the NRC ready to license dozens per year,” said Nicholas McMurray, the managing director of international and nuclear policy at energy policy group ClearPath.
The ADVANCE Act is specifically tailored to boost the next generation of reactors being designed now, that are not currently in commercial production in the U.S. Some of these newer designs will be migrating away from water cooling and will use other types of coolants, such as liquid metal or high-temperature gas, which have a range of benefits, such as enhanced safety, allowing reactors to run on different types of fuel, producing less waste and being able to operate at higher temperatures and be sized to suit the needs of users in more settings than a traditional nuclear plant.
In recognition of these so-called fourth-generation reactor models’ unique uses and the urgency of bringing these designs to market, the bill authorizes the Department of Energy to give out financial awards to the first companies to meet specific goals, such as using fuel made from recycled nuclear waste or generating heat that could be used for industrial process heat, rather than electricity production.
Given that the Biden-Harris Administration has just announced steps to bolster the domestic nuclear industry and advance America's Clean Energy Future, it seems highly likely that Biden will sign the legistlation. Meanwhile, the DOE has also just announced that it has allocated an additional $900 million to accelerate the deployment of next-generation small modular reactors.
Together, these actions amount to laying the foundation necessary to help America finally compete with Russia and China. Speaking in support of the legislation Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the bill would “support job growth, clean energy and leadership while preserving the NRC’s fundamental safety mission.'
Sources
The Huffington Post, "Congress Just Passed The Biggest Clean-Energy Bill Since Biden's Climate Law:It's all on nuclear," by Alexander C. Kaufman June 20, 2024.
DOE Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Steps to Bolster Domestic Nuclear Industry and Advance America’s Clean Energy Future, May 29th, 2024.
Office of Nuclear Energy, Enhanced Safety of Advanced Reactors, 2024.
DOE Announces $900 Million to Accelerate the Deployment of Next-Generation Light-Water Small Modular Reactors, June 17, 2024
Published by Nucleation Capital in Advanced Nuclear, Biden-Harris Administration, Brilliant thinkers, Climate policy, Energy abundance, Energy transition, Future of Energy, Government support, History Timeline, History-making, LINKS, Nuclear competitiveness, Nuclear innovation, Regulatory reform, Solving climate, US competitiveness, US technological leadership, Zero emission energy
The Biden-Harris Administration held a summit on Domestic Nuclear Deployment and announced major new steps to bolster the U.S. domestic nuclear industry and advance America’s (and likely the whole world's) clean energy future. This is political leadership, informed by science, industry, policy, practice and realism, at its best. The effects of Biden's brilliance in this area—with his focus on accelerating the deployment of the only energy technology that can compete head to head with fossil fuels—can make a real difference in how quickly and cost-effectively next generation nuclear will get to market and is exactly what we need to finally enable us to move the needle on climate.
According to numerous analyses, the Biden Administration is taking decisive steps to support the construction of large-scale nuclear reactors, crucial for meeting our clean energy goals, as well as supporting the licensing and development of next-generation nuclear power plants. The White House has formed an expert group whose focus and mission will be to work on solving the problems that are cause delays to new projects and thus eliminate, reduce or mitigate industry risks to ensure timely completion of projects and bolster progress towards a carbon-free power sector by 2035 and a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. The text of the White House Fact Sheet is so perfect, it is better to reprint it than attempt to summarize it. See the first few paragraphs below, but click the links to go directly to the sources.
For decades, nuclear power has been the largest source of clean energy in the United States, accounting for 19% of total energy produced last year. The industry directly employs nearly 60,000 workers in good paying jobs, maintains these jobs for decades, and supports hundreds of thousands of other workers. In the midst of transformational changes taking place throughout the U.S. energy system, the Biden-Harris Administration is continuing to build on President Biden’s unprecedented goal of a carbon free electricity sector by 2035 while also ensuring that consumers across the country have access to affordable, reliable electric power, and creating good-paying clean energy jobs. Alongside renewable power sources like wind and solar, a new generation of nuclear reactors is now capturing the attention of a wide range of stakeholders for nuclear energy’s ability to produce clean, reliable energy and meet the needs of a fast-growing economy, driven by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and manufacturing boom. The Administration recognizes that decarbonizing our power system, which accounts for a quarter of all the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, represents a pivotal challenge requiring all the expertise and ingenuity our nation can deliver.
The Biden-Harris Administration is today hosting a White House Summit on Domestic Nuclear Deployment, highlighting the collective progress being made from across the public and private sectors. Under President Biden’s leadership, the Administration has taken a number of actions to strengthen our nation’s energy and economic security by reducing – and putting us on the path to eliminating – our reliance on Russian uranium for civil nuclear power and building a new supply chain for nuclear fuel, including: signing on to last year’s multi-country declaration at COP28 to triple nuclear energy capacity globally by 2050; developing new reactor designs; extending the service lives of existing nuclear reactors; and growing the momentum behind new deployments. Recognizing the importance of both the existing U.S. nuclear fleet and continued build out of large nuclear power plants, the U.S. is also taking steps to mitigate project risks associated with large nuclear builds and position U.S. industry to support an aggressive deployment target.
To help drive reactor deployment while ensuring ratepayers and project stakeholders are better protected, theAdministration is announcing today the creation of a Nuclear Power Project Management and Delivery working group that will draw on leading experts from across the nuclear and megaproject construction industry to help identify opportunities to proactively mitigate sources of cost and schedule overrun risk. Working group members will be made up of federal government entities, including the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy, the White House Office of Clean Energy Innovation & Implementation, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Department of Energy. The working group will engage a range of stakeholders, including project developers, engineering, procurement and construction firms, utilities, investors, labor organizations, academics, and NGOs, which will each offer individual views on how to help further the Administration’s goal of delivering an efficient and cost-effective deployment of clean, reliable nuclear energy and ensuring that learnings translate to cost savings for future construction and deployment.
The United States Army is also announcing that it will soon release a Request for Information to inform a deployment program for advanced reactors to power multiple Army sites in the United States. Small modular nuclear reactors and microreactors can provide defense installations resilient energy for several years amid the threat of physical or cyberattacks, extreme weather, pandemic biothreats, and other emerging challenges that can all disrupt commercial energy networks. Alongside the current defense programs through the Department of the Air Force microreactor pathfinder at Eielson AFB and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) Project Pele prototype transportable microreactor protype, the Army is taking a key role in exploring the deployment of advanced reactors that help meet their energy needs. These efforts will help inform the regulatory and supply chain pathways that will pave the path for additional deployments of advanced nuclear technology to provide clean, reliable energy for federal installations and other critical infrastructure.
Additionally, the Department of Energy released today a new primer highlighting the expected enhanced safety of advanced nuclear reactors including passive core cooling capabilities and advanced fuel designs. Idaho National Laboratory is also releasing a new advanced nuclear reactor capital cost reduction pathway tool that will help developers and stakeholders to assess cost drivers for new projects.
Continue reading the White House announcement here: "Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Steps to Bolster Domestic Nuclear Industry and Advance America’s Clean Energy Future," May 29, 2024.
Published by Nucleation Capital in Advanced Nuclear, Advanced Nuclear Customers, Biden-Harris Administration, Brilliant thinkers, Capital reallocation, Carbon emissions, Climate policy, Construction costs, Energy abundance, Energy transition, Future of Energy, Government support, History Timeline, History-making, LINKS, Nuclear competitiveness, Nuclear financing, Nuclear innovation, Regulatory reform, Solving climate, US competitiveness, US technological leadership, Zero emission energy
By Valerie Gardner, Managing Partner
The 118th Congress may go down in history as the least productive Congress ever seated. By the end of its first year, only 24 bills had been passed by both chambers. While much of this dysfunction was the result of infighting among Republicans, the partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans has rarely been greater. It would seem that there is almost nothing that Democrats and Republicans agree on. But, in fact, there is something—and it's not funding Ukraine's (our ally) war against Russia, our enemy, or ensuring that the U.S. doesn't default on its debts. No, both sides agree about the importance of nuclear power and they want more of it!
Has anyone else noticed this?
Despite historic levels of strife and discord between the parties, and decades of Democratic opposition to nuclear power, on February 24, 2024, the House passed HR 6544 – The Atomic Energy Advancement Act — by the overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 365 to 36. This bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Jeff Duncan (SC) and Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette (CO), aims to have the NRC accelerate the review and approval of new nuclear designs by requiring that they factor in the benefits of nuclear energy against the risks of not doing so. Given that people demand firm power and this results in fossil fuels being burned, the risks posed by not providing a clean, firm alternative through nuclear are clear.
This is just stunning legislation and it provides important acknowledgement from the (largely climate-denying) Republican Party that the world needs nuclear and unjustified delays in the licensing process pose extremel risks to humanity. The bill received support from 175 Democratic representatives. The "No" votes came from mostly junior Democratic Representatives (possibly because energy is not yet among the top issues they focus on).
This bill mirrors the Senate's Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act, which was passed April, 2023 by a vote of 86 to 11. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R., W.Va.), Tom Carper (D., Del.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D., R.I.) were the bipartisan sponsors of a bill whose purpose is to support the preservation, development, and deployment of nuclear energy while "making the nuclear licensing process more affordable, predictable, and efficient.” Lawmakers are already at work reconciling the differences between these two bills and the final bill is expected to be signed by President Biden, who has been steadily laying the foundation for the U.S. to lead the world in next generation of nuclear power. In anticipation of this legislation being enacted, the NRC has directed its staff to prepare changes to Part 53.
So, is this a one-off? A freak occurence? No, in fact, this is a continuation of a very long but below the radar series of bipartisan legislative and executive efforts to modernize, streamline and update the capabilities of the U.S. nuclear sector, including securing fuel production and accelerating regulatory oversight.
More than s Decade of Bipartisan Progress on Nuclear
At the end of 2023, Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act (HR 2670) for 2024, a must-pass bill to keep the government funded. It included an amendment containing the Nuclear Fuel Security Act (NFSA) and an appropriation of $2.7 Billion to boost domestic US production of enriched uranium (both LEU and HALEU) and end American reliance on Russian fuel.
The Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act (H.R. 1042) also passed in the House in December with a bipartisan voice vote. Although the Senate has yet to pass a similar act, now that the NFSA has passed with funding to help build US domestic capacity, the Senate is very likely to pass their own version of the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act with strong bipartisan support and have the reconciled law be signed by President BIden.
These legislative accomplishments follow the passage of Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, which expanded federal support for nuclear power, by leveling the playing field and giving nuclear the same tax incentives as solar and wind. Biden also enacted the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provided $6 billion to protecting existing nuclear power from premature closure, recognizing that the loss of a working nuclear power plant meant adding back fossil fuel generation and increasing carbon emissions. This funding enabled Democratically-controlled California to save Diablo Canyon from premature closure and may help Michigan to restart the shuttered Palisades power plant.
The Biden Administration has stimulated a resurgence in nuclear power but the ball really got rolling with legislation passed with bipartisan support and signed by President Trump. The Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA), enacted in 2019, and the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Capabilities Act (NEICA), enacted in 2018, provided critical funding a number of advanced nuclear development projects and ventures and began the process of revamping NRC mandates.
Even prior to Trump, the Obama Administration got to work on "Actions to Ensure that Nuclear Energy Remains a Vibrant Component of the United States’ Clean Energy Strategy." Obama recognized that "the continued development of new and advanced nuclear technologies along with support for currently operating nuclear power plants was an important component of our clean energy strategy while also advancing economic competitiveness, job creation, enhancing nuclear nonproliferation efforts, and increasing energy security."
As a result, Obama almost doubled the nuclear budget that existed under President Bush and allocated more than $900 million for the Department of Energy (DOE) to expand support the U.S. civilian nuclear energy sector. Among the important programs and initiatives he created were the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN), expanding the Loan Guarantee Program's support for nuclear energy, and Investing in SMR Licensing of first-of-a-kind engineering costs for NRC certification of advanced designs.
Summary
In today's polarized political environment, there's shocklingly little that Democrats and Republicans agree on. Yet in administration after administration, nuclear power has received bipartisan support. For Democrats, their support comes from knowing that nuclear power helps to solve climate change, reduce air pollution and maintain grid reliability. In contrast, Republicans see the U.S.'s nuclear strength as a crucial geopolitical power that addresses both energy security and national security, as we increasingly compete with Russia and China for influence over the energy-hungry developing world. These extraordinarily different sets of political priorities are entirely aligned in the center—on the need to improve and expand US nuclear power.
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Nuclear energy, once seen as a threat to humanity, is emerging as crucial to reducing the much bigger threats we face—namely climate change and the threatening power of fossil fuel-enriched totalitarian regimes tying energy access with influence. Defanging these regimes by reducing global use of fossil fuels goes hand-in-hand with solving climate change. Using nuclear power to achieve this has gained widespread supported. Recent polls also show nuclear's increasing public popularity, with support strongest among those most knowledgeable. Which have fortunately included both Democratic and Republican presidents, all determined to see that next-generation nuclear—promising smaller, safer, flexible and affordable designs—has a chance to accelerate the world's transition away from fossil fuel dependence. In that, there's a lot to agree on.
References
Axios, Capitol Hill stunner: 2023 led to fewest laws in decades, by Andrew Solender, December 18, 2023.
E&ENews, Is this the year for bipartisan action on advanced nuclear? by Nico Portuondo, Jan. 24, 2024
The Hill, Five ways the Biden DOE is spending big on nuclear energy, by Saul Elbein, Dec. 8, 2022.
Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources, Barrasso Hails Broad Support for Bipartisan Nuclear Fuel Security Act, Dec. 13, 2023.
Cathy McMorris Rogers, House Passes McMorris Rodgers Bill Banning Russian Uranium Imports To United States, Dec. 11, 2023. (Contains a video of Rep. McMorris Rogers' statement in support of her bill.)
JD Supra, Inflation Reduction Act expands support for nuclear power plants, by Andre Smith and Paul Smith, June 12,2023.
The White House: Fact Sheet: The Obama Administration Announces Actions to Ensure that Nuclear Energy Remains a Vibrant Component of the United States’ Clean Energy Strategy, Nov. 6, 2015.
Bisconti Research, Record High Public Support for Nuclear Energy, 2022 National Nuclear Energy Public Opinion Survey Finds, by Ann S. Bisconti, Ph.D., June 3, 2022.
Published by Valerie Gardner in Advanced Nuclear, Advanced Nuclear Customers, Carbon emissions, Climate change, Climate policy, Energy abundance, Future of Energy, NEWS, Nuclear innovation, Nuclear R&D, Solving climate, US competitiveness, US technological leadership
The Council of EU member states and the European Parliament agreed to label nuclear power as a strategic technology together with 16 other technologies declared strategic for the EU’s decarbonization, following months of negotiations in Brussels over the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA).
The NZIA aims to speed up the deployment of technologies that can contribute to meeting the EU’s net-zero emissions target. This is seen as a direct response by the EU to the Biden Administration's Inflation Reduction Act and efforts by other countries, including China, to become global leaders in the manufacturing of clean technologies like batteries, heat pumps and solar panels.
The NZIA aims to accelerate permitting procedures for industrial production sites involved in the manufacturing of components needed for renewable energy technologies, but also for nuclear power.
Negotiators representing the Parliament, the Council, and the European Commission confirmed on Tuesday the “strategic” nature of projects relating to nuclear energy, which are included in a single list of 17 net-zero technologies that will benefit from the NZIA.
French MEP Christophe Grudler who took part in the talks for the centrist Renew Europe group in Parliament, explained that each EU country will be sovereign in defining the projects that will be considered strategic on its territory, and thus which will benefit from faster permitting and simplified administrative rules.
However, as a result of the negotiations, “the two types of energy (namely, renewable and nuclear) are finally being treated equally as part of the reindustrialisation process,” Grudler rejoiced.
The agreement encompasses both traditional nuclear nuclear technologies as well as future third and fourth generation designs, i.e. small modular reactors (SMRs) and other types of advanced nuclear reactors and their corresponding fuel cycles.
“The message is clear: the EU recognises that we need nuclear power to achieve the objectives of the Green Deal,” the French MEP told Euractiv.
Read more at EURACTIV's "Nuclear power officially labelled as 'strategic' for EU's decarbonisation," by Paul Messad, February 7, 2024.
See EURACTIV's "EU Parliament backs extensive net-zero industry ‘wishlist’, including nuclear,"by Paul Messad, Nov. 23, 2023.
Published by Nucleation Capital in Advanced Nuclear, Carbon emissions, Climate change, Climate policy, Government support, History Timeline, History-making, International support for nuclear, LINKS, Nuclear financing, Nuclear-inclusive energy policy, Politicians supporting nuclear, Solving climate, Zero emission energy
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