In the United States, laws have been enacted to accelerate the expansion of nuclear power plants, such as shortening the approval process for nuclear power generation. The bill accelerates the process for approval of new nuclear power plants and reduces the fees that nuclear power companies have to pay to obtain permits.
Senator Tom Carper, chairman of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said in a statement on the committee’s website that President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill to accelerate the deployment of nuclear power plants.
“This is a monumental day for our climate and for the clean energy future of the United States,” Carper said. “The climate crisis requires a rapid transition to cleaner energy sources,” adding that the law will “support that transition.” He added, “This law will strengthen our energy and national security, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and create numerous new jobs.”
The Biden administration, which uses “eco-friendliness” as an important basis for state affairs, is paying attention to nuclear power generation because it believes that wind and solar power alone, which are safe clean energy sources, have limitations at a time when electricity demand has soared due to the expansion of data centers and the revival of manufacturing.
Energy Minister Jennifer Granholm said at a visit to Bogle Nuclear Power Plant No. 4 in Waynesboro, Georgia in May that the U.S. should at least triple its capacity to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Carbon neutrality means offsetting warming-causing carbon emissions through carbon reduction and absorption activities such as renewable energy generation, resulting in a “zero” total amount of actual net emissions.
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
