nuclear power plant lies about 200 miles north of Los Angeles on California's central coast. Its twin reactors sit between the Pacific Ocean on one side and emerald hills on the other. The Golden State’s only remaining nuclear plant provides nearly 9% of its electricity generation, and accounts for 15% of its clean-electricity production. Yet despite California’s aggressive climate goals and a national push to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, Diablo Canyon is set to close down by 2025.
These three trends led researchers to ponder how keeping the plant running might change California’s energy outlook. They found that to keep it going to 2035, ten years past its current operating licence issued by the, would cut emissions, bolster the grid’s reliability and save the state $2.6bn. The analysis shows that Diablo’s continued operation would reduce the carbon emissions from power generation by 11% each year from 2017 levels.
Even while plants are being shut down, nuclear power is gaining in appeal. Environmental groups have long been sceptical of nuclear because of the toxic waste it produces, or because they were against nuclear weapons. Jessica Lovering, the founder of Good Energy Collective, which aims to build the “progressive case for nuclear energy”, says today’s climate activists are more pragmatic, and focused on nuclear’s lack of carbon emissions.
Policy is slowly catching up. Pro-nuclear groups point to the use of “clean electricity” or “zero-carbon” language in state and federal climate targets as a way to leave the door open for nuclear, rather than requiring renewables. Jennifer Granholm, President Joe Biden’s energy secretary, told a crowd at, the global climate conference in Glasgow, that nuclear energy is an “essential tool” in decarbonising the grid.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: Jezebel - 🏆 153. / 63 Read more »
Source: Forbes - 🏆 394. / 53 Read more »
Source: trtworld - 🏆 101. / 63 Read more »
Source: TheEconomist - 🏆 6. / 92 Read more »
Source: Reuters - 🏆 2. / 97 Read more »