Enlarge / An aerial view of the Prairie Island Nuclear Energy Plant, close to Pink Wing, Minnesota. (credit score: Getty Pictures)
Nuclear vegetation occupy an odd place within the US’s vitality panorama. They’re at present the most costly type of era on the market, and lots of the vegetation are a decade or extra previous their deliberate life span. On the similar time, nuclear energy is the US’s largest single supply of low-carbon electrical energy era, accounting for nearly as a lot because the wind, photo voltaic, and hydro mixed.
So the huge growth of cheaper wind, photo voltaic, and pure gasoline has been driving nuclear plant closures—a dozen over the previous decade. However these closures are making it tougher for the US to restrict its carbon emissions. Now, the federal authorities has determined it has to step in with cash to maintain these vegetation open.
On Tuesday, the US Division of Power introduced it was releasing steerage that will assist nuclear plant operators apply for a slice of $6 billion out there underneath its new Civil Nuclear Credit score Program. The cash might be popping out of the funds allotted by means of the infrastructure legislation that was the centerpiece of President Joe Biden’s legislative accomplishments.
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