The Biden administration aims to triple U.S. nuclear energy capacity over the next two decades from 2020, according to a new plan announced in the final months of the president's term.
As of 2020, the United States produced 29.9% of the world's nuclear power, according to a report by the Energy Information Administration.
The new framework announced Tuesday aims to achieve the ultimate goal of 200 gigawatts (GW) of net nuclear power generation capacity in the United States by 2050, which the White House says is an increase from just four years ago. At least 3 times the capacity.
New standards will be implemented through short-term goals.
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President Biden announced a new initiative to increase U.S. nuclear energy to 200 gigawatts by 2050, tripling it from 2020 levels. (Christian Monterrosa)
The United States aims to meet its original goal by 2035, with a focus on strengthening the nation's energy infrastructure by adding 35 GW of new nuclear capacity, delivered from facilities currently in operation or under construction. is placed.
The next goal is to deploy 15 GW per year by 2040.
The plan also highlights the role domestic nuclear production will play in the Biden administration's goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The White House has said that expanding nuclear energy could help curb the climate crisis, which the memo describes as “one of the existential threats of our time.”
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According to the White House, achieving new nuclear energy goals will “strengthen national security, increase energy reliability and resilience, grow the U.S. economy, and strengthen U.S. leadership and global competitiveness in this critical industry.” He will recover.”
Power lines are pulled from the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, on March 26, 2019. On the right is an operating power plant operated by Exelon Generation. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds)
The administration has identified 30 different ways it could achieve its goals, including building large-scale light water reactors and small modular reactors near coal-fired power plants, according to Dr. Michael Goff, acting assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy. did. energy.
The new framework also includes the construction of new nuclear power plants, the renewal of existing reactors, and the restarting of nuclear reactors.
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If the goals are met, the Biden administration expects expanding U.S. nuclear capacity will create thousands of new jobs, strengthen national security and increase the industry's global competitiveness.
