What the Trump Administration Could Do to Help the Nuclear Energy Industry

Maria Korsnick

The Nuclear Energy Institute’s chief operating officer, Maria Korsnick, made the following statement in response to a Bloomberg News report today that President-elect Donald Trump’s advisers “are looking at ways in which the U.S. government could help nuclear power generators being forced out of the electricity market.”

“Americans will benefit immensely from the incoming administration’s focus on existing nuclear generating plants as part of maintaining and improving our nation’s critical infrastructure. Federal and state leaders must act urgently to preserve at-risk nuclear energy facilities, just like lawmakers and agency officials in Illinois and New York have done, to help achieve a stronger economy, cleaner air and enhanced energy diversity and security. Thanks to the actions taken recently in Illinois and New York, thousands of jobs have been saved and consumers will be spared the cost of replacing the carbon-free electricity generation reliably provided by nuclear power plants central to their infrastructure.

“Those tailored state solutions – welcome as they are – are only a bridging strategy to the broader electric market fixes that are needed to properly value nuclear energy’s benefits. As bitterly cold weather descends on much of the nation, it is a good time to remember that, beyond their around-the-clock generation of emission-free electricity, nuclear energy facilities ensure that electricity is available for all Americans by having their fuel supplies already on site inside the reactor core to ensure that lights stay on and homes are heated in extreme weather conditions.

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