As the urgency of the climate crisis becomes more obvious, nuclear power is drawing another look. The power sector needs to develop to meet climate targets. Renewables (RES) have taken significant share of the energy mix in recent years but going further means securing far more investment and solving the complex challenge of integrating variable power. There is a need for alternatives to run alongside RES, keeping us on track. Matthew Wald from the Nuclear Energy Institute (Washington) makes the case for nuclear as an essential part of a clean energy future.
Zero-emissions
Nuclear energy provides well over half the non-emitting electric energy in the United States. Nuclear displaced 547 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2017, the last full year for which data are available. Hydro was second at…