Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy reiterated this week that nuclear energy needs to remain a potent force in the U.S. energy sector if the agency’s Clean Power Plan for reducing carbon emissions from electricity generation is to succeed.
McCarthy made the remarks during a speech at an event sponsored by the Wall Street Journal.
McCarthy said U.S. energy infrastructure needs to include all forms of clean-power generation so that Clean Power Plan goals can be met while still enabling economic growth.
Currently, 99 nuclear plants operate in the U.S., and they are currently producing approximately 63 percent of the nation’s carbon-free electricity. At the same event, Brian Deese, senior adviser to President Obama on Climate, Conservation and Energy Policy, said China’s proposed nuclear expansion was a model to emulate. The country has 28 nuclear plants in operation, 24 under construction and dozens more in the planning stages.
“China’s forward plan is very ambitious with nuclear,” Deese said. “We don’t have to choose between economic growth and reducing climate emissions.”
The NEI has reported in the past that nuclear plants in the U.S. face concerns over premature closure due to policy and economic challenges.
“Nuclear has a big role today in reducing carbon and that will continue, and we point this out to the states that existing facilities providing large baseload capacity must continue to operate,” McCarthy said. “Nuclear is truly zero carbon emissions.”
