Feasibility Studies for Nuclear in Remote Communities Included in the Infrastructure Law

Good Energy Collective was excited to see that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, enacted Nov. 15, included some of the forward-looking provisions that we’ve been calling for, including help for communities to determine whether nuclear is or isn’t right for them. The law makes financial and technical assistance available for feasibility studies to find suitable places for microreactors and small modular reactors in isolated areas. On top of that, DOE first has to conduct “robust community engagement and outreach” to determine if these communities actually want new nuclear. 

The law also included a welcome $6 billion in credits for existing nuclear reactors in the United States that are struggling to remain economical in an energy market that still doesn’t value clean energy, and rightly allows advanced nuclear energy projects to qualify for clean energy demonstration projects on current and old mining lands. 

We love to see legislation that pairs support for existing and advanced nuclear reactors with support for community inclusion and engagement. But future legislative packages should not neglect areas of our country that are still awaiting clean-up of uranium mining and milling sites and weapons test locations. That’s why we’re watching the American Nuclear Infrastructure Act from Sens. Booker and Whitehouse that includes support for today’s and tomorrow’s nuclear reactors alongside support for funding that would finally restore abandoned mine lands in Tribal territory. 

Jessica Takes Toronto

Jessica shared with the Toronto Business Forum how nuclear has a problematic legacy of weapons testing and uranium mining that isn’t sustainable going forward, and how we have a chance, with advanced nuclear energy, to develop more collaborative engagement practices with communities that are interested in these technologies. Watch the panel discussion on small modular reactors here. 

Jackie Talks VTR

We’ve been making the case that the government shouldn’t focus only on supporting private companies to demonstrate new nuclear—that it absolutely needs to invest in the public infrastructure that benefits a broader group of people and countries, too. On Tuesday, Jackie joined the Global America Business Institute, Nuclear Innovation Alliance, and Atlantic Council on a webinar to discuss why the United States needs to keep investing in one such public infrastructure project—the Versatile Test Reactor—to make sure we get a strong domestic nuclear energy ecosystem. The panel is available here. 

GEC in the News

Nuclear Energy Is Having a Moment

In conversation with The Atlantic’s Robinson Meyer, Jackie said that the nuclear sector is simultaneously in a period of revival but also faces a make-or-break moment, as a series of advanced reactor demonstrations queued up for this decade must be successful in order for this fledgling domestic industry to take wing.

Read: Nuclear Is Hot, for the Moment

Rethinking Plant Closures

In November, Jessica was quoted in an article from The Economist taking stock of how the nuclear industry presents itself, taking as a case study the debate over the closure of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in California. Jessica hit home how today’s climate activists are a lot more pragmatic about what reducing emissions is going to take than past environmentalists. Some of these activists are starting to look at nuclear as a possible clean alternative to gas and coal power. 

Read: Will the climate crisis force America to reconsider nuclear power?

Personal News

Jessica has returned from parental leave and is looking forward to enjoying the holidays with this little gnome.


 

This holiday season, we invite you to chip in if you are able and share broadly with your networks.