More top security experts are recognizing nuclear energy as a cornerstone of energy security. Why? It increases national security, promotes geopolitical leadership abroad, and offers the U.S. a resilient grid without carbon emissions.
Energy Security for the U.S. and Our Allies
- In the United States, nuclear energy remains a critical part of the energy transition, essential to meeting climate goals and bolstering our ability to decarbonize while increasing energy independence.
- The geopolitical influence that comes when countries are dependent on energy sources from potentially hostile foreign nations can have detrimental effects. The United States is a reliable partner with world-class nuclear safety and security standards. By doing business with the United States on next-generation nuclear energy deployment, countries can increase both climate security, as well as energy security.
Nuclear Keeps the Grid Online When Disaster Strikes
- Nuclear power plants are among the most robust elements of critical infrastructure. Because of the industry’s comprehensive safety procedures and stringent federal regulations, nuclear plants offer a level of protection against natural and adversarial threats that goes far beyond most other elements of our nation’s electrical grid. They are built to withstand extreme weather, as proven during hurricanes and freezing temperatures driven by polar vortex events.
- Nuclear plants generate electricity 24/7/365. When other energy sources are stressed or unavailable, nuclear keeps the lights on.
- Unlike most energy sources, nuclear plants have up to two years of fuel stored securely on-site. That makes nuclear power plants hardened against fuel supply disruptions.
- To further secure a reliable fuel supply, the private sector and government must work together to ensure the establishment of domestic conversion and enrichment facilities.
Leading in Nuclear Energy Means Leading in the World
- A strong civil nuclear sector is important to America’s role in the world, as our industry expertise has allowed us to set international rules for using nuclear technologies and keeping nuclear materials out of the hands of bad actors.
- Reactor exports allow the U.S. to form 100-year strategic relationships around the world that span the construction, operation and decommissioning of a plant.
- Today, however, the global landscape is rapidly shifting. Russia and China have made great strides to develop their nuclear industries, both domestically and for the export market. With this expansion, they are poised to take leading roles in the establishment of global nuclear norms and standards in the future.
- Russia, through state-owned and state-supported Rosatom, has brought seven reactors online in the past five years and today has three reactors under construction domestically. Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there were 16 reactors of Russian design under construction worldwide.
- In the U.S. we have seen greater appreciation from policymakers on why we need to level the playing field for nuclear and ensure our technologies can compete abroad against state-owned entities like China and Russia.
- Countries like Canada, the UK, Poland and Romania are increasingly committed to building new reactors, and specifically desire to partner with the United States due to superior technology, outstanding operational and safety performance, and reliability as a partner.
The United States views nuclear energy as a pivotal technology in the global effort to lower emissions, expand economic opportunity, and ultimately combat climate change. We have been supporting the development of SMRs for decades.
What Do We Need to Maintain U.S. Leadership?
We must place a greater value on the national security importance of nuclear energy—and the supply chain that builds and helps maintain nuclear power plants. The government must work with the private industry to protect existing plants, develop and commercialize technology for the next generation of reactors, and provide U.S. industry with tools to compete in the large and growing international market for nuclear power. The lengthy time required by the U.S. Department of Energy to authorize American nuclear exports continues to inflict great harm on the competitiveness of our businesses at home. Other countries authorize their suppliers to export nuclear technology in a fraction of the time. As national security experts have noted, the widening gap in approval times not only disadvantages U.S. nuclear exporters but also undermines U.S. leadership on global nuclear safety, security and nonproliferation. Consistent and systematic alignment between federal agencies can clear the path to exports and help American businesses pursue opportunities in a timely and competitive manner.
Importantly, U.S. private firms compete not with companies but with governments, and the head of state is often a key advocate for its national nuclear industry. For our long-term success, a whole-of-government approach, informed by strategic thinking about global nuclear energy development, is critical.
This is even more important as investors are looking to nuclear energy as an essential tool in reducing carbon emissions and meeting ESG commitments. It is critical the United States is poised to increase market access.
MORE ABOUT FEDERAL COORDINATION
If we lose our supply chain, if we lose our intellectual chain of supply of bright scientists because we basically pushed the nuclear industry back, then we’re going to lose our role as a leader when it comes to nuclear energy in the world.