The Nuclear Industry’s Sneaky Plan to Hijack Climate Change Policy
In a brazen attempt to further entrench the fossil fuel industry’s grip on the US energy sector, Congress has passed a bill that will accelerate the development of next-generation nuclear reactors. The Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act is a thinly veiled attempt to undermine the transition to renewable energy and perpetuate the nuclear industry’s destructive legacy.
The bill, which is now awaiting President Joe Biden’s signature, is a Trojan horse that claims to support "clean energy" while in reality, it will do the opposite. By streamlining the licensing process for new nuclear reactors, the ADVANCE Act will allow the industry to sidestep critical safety and security oversight, putting the public at risk.
Proponents of the bill, such as the Clean Air Task Force, claim that nuclear energy is a necessary component of a decarbonized energy system. But this is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to justify the continued dominance of the nuclear industry. In reality, nuclear energy is a dirty, dangerous, and expensive way to generate electricity that will only serve to delay the transition to renewable energy sources.
The bill’s opponents, such as the Union of Concerned Scientists, are not fooled. "This is not about making the reactor licensing process more efficient, but about weakening safety and security oversight across the board, a longstanding industry goal," said Edwin Lyman, nuclear power safety director at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
The ADVANCE Act is a dangerous and misguided attempt to further entrench the nuclear industry’s grip on the US energy sector. It is a threat to public safety, the environment, and our ability to transition to a sustainable energy future. We must not let it become law.
