Full Title: Nuclear Energy Meets Climate Change
Author(s): Zakaria Hsain, Alissa Johnson, Erin Reagan
Publisher(s): Kleinman Center for Energy Policy
Publication Date: October 5, 2021
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Nuclear energy is an important component of the U.S. clean energy portfolio. Across the nation, 94
commercial nuclear reactors produce more than 50% of all emissions-free electricity (U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 2020a). As the U.S. prepares to meet the goal proposed by President Biden of 100% emissions-free electricity by 2035 (Waldman 2021), the future contribution of nuclear energy is contested. Reaching this ambitious goal, however, may require not only massive investments in grid-scale energy storage and renewable energy generation (e.g., solar, wind), but also the expansion of nuclear energy capacity.