by Greg Walcher, E&E Legal Senior Policy Fellow
As appearing in the Daily Sentinel
The drive to reduce carbon emissions has changed the worldwide discussion of energy in recent years, no longer focused mainly on the politics of oil, but on various forms of “renewable” energy. I’ve always thought that term somewhat ironic because all energy is renewable. We can use the sun, wind and water without using them up, of course. But even coal, oil and gas are still being created by natural processes; they just take a lot longer.
Some forms of energy do not emit carbon dioxide but may have other consequences and thus are politically incorrect, such as hydroelectric power that requires dams and turbines. It’s fun to watch people who advocate zero emissions explain why they nevertheless oppose such a vast and continuously renewed resource that does not require importing rare earth minerals from China.
The clean energy agenda has also renewed interest in nuclear energy, for the same reasons, though the opposition is a bit more complicated because of safety concerns stemming from high-profile accidents like Three Mile Island (1979), Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011). Still, there is increased development because nuclear power plants produce no greenhouse gases while operating. The UN International Panel on Climate Change says over the course of its life cycle, nuclear produces about the same amount of “carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions per unit of electricity” as wind and only a third as much as solar.
So inevitably, climate conscious policy makers have ramped up nuclear production in many areas. In fact, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine has threated European energy supplies, Germany cancelled its planned decommissioning of several nuclear plants. New investments suggest a rapid increase in nuclear power. The World Nuclear Association says there are 440 nuclear reactors operating in 32 countries, another 60 under construction, about 100 more on order and another 300 proposed. Most are outside the U.S., in China, Russia, India, South Korea, South America and the Middle East and virtually all of them are government subsidized.
