The effects of climate change are intensifying extreme weather patterns, and our energy infrastructure must be able to weather the storm. Nuclear plants, which produce reliable, carbon-free energy, were built to last and have a track record of safely operating during hurricanes and other extreme weather events. Resiliency is one of our bedrock values.
During record-setting heat waves, like the ones the country suffered through this summer, nuclear powered the A/C units. During wildfire and storm outages, nuclear energy powered recovery efforts.
According to a new report by the Center for ESG and Sustainability (CESG), in partnership with Columbia University’s International Research Institute for Climate and Society, “As to climate-related risks, while impacts can occur, recent events have underscored the resiliency of nuclear plants, particularly with regard to major weather events.“
These extreme weather events are happening every season now as climate hazards increase.
The outages in Texas last winter were yet another reminder that reliability ultimately comes down to how our systems respond to worst-case scenarios. As the nation was hit with record-low temperatures, the U.S. nuclear fleet operated at a 95 percent capacity factor, providing power to communities that needed it.
Similarly in 2017 when Hurricane Harvey, a category four storm, made landfall in Texas and caused catastrophic flooding across the state, the South Texas Project Electric Generating Station remained operational throughout.
A recent report by the Electric Power Research Institute noted, “Operating experience and high capacity factors show that nuclear plants also have operational resilience to extreme events. It is rare that extreme weather events have a significant, direct impact on nuclear plant generation, with most major loss of production events due to grid-wide challenges. In fact, during the studied [2011-2020] time period, weather-related events have only caused less than a 0.1% average loss of capacity factor at U.S. nuclear plants.”
Nuclear units can keep going when other types of generation can’t, running from 18 to 24 months without needing to stop to refuel. No other carbon-free source offers greater reliability—and efficiency—than the existing U.S. nuclear fleet. Among carbon-free sources, there’s simply no comparison.
Nuclear plants are well prepared to face the changing environmental conditions in the foreseeable future. Nuclear plant teams regularly assess accident prevention and mitigation measures to ensure the power plants are able to operate during extreme conditions. The industry has taken steps over the past decade that have significantly increased resilience during extreme natural events, and these changes have made nuclear one of the safest forms of energy.
As we look towards the next generation of reactors, these new plants are being designed with climate risks in mind, ensuring that the industry’s long history of resilience continues.
And as countries across the world strive to secure their energy supplies while simultaneously fighting the climate crisis, these new reactors will be sources of clean independent, reliable energy. They will not require offsite power, and many designs will significantly decrease water usage.
We’re seeing a combination of pressures that are pointing to why always-on, affordable nuclear power is essential—predictions of extreme heat, weather conditions, and rolling blackouts—as well as geopolitical upheaval and the importance of energy security. Nuclear has been helping keep our air clean and our homes powered for decades, and it is prepared to weather the storm and propel us towards our carbon-free future.
