Biden Wants To Triple Nuclear Energy Capacity, but He’ll Have To Cut Red Tape To Do It
The Biden administration has an ambitious plan to triple America’s nuclear power capacity by 2050 from 2020 levels. From private sector financing to favorable legislation, support for nuclear power is growing. But actually realizing the ambitious goal to triple nuclear energy is contingent on overcoming one major obstacle: regulations.
In addition to bringing another 200 gigawatts of nuclear power generation online—the U.S. currently has about 96 gigawatts in operation—the White House report sets an aggressive timeline of deploying 35 gigawatts of new capacity through 2035. The new generation will come from the construction of large and small advanced reactors, restarting closed reactors (such as Three Mile Island Unit 1), and increasing capacity at existing plants. While the need for some regulatory reform is mentioned, the White House’s plan primarily relies on expanding tax credits and leveraging federal financing to meet its goals.
Onerous regulations inflate costs and balloon project timelines for nuclear power. One of the most damaging is the regulation governing radiation standards. Under current guidance, nuclear power plants must emit doses of radiation that are as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA), which does not protect public health. Every day, humans are exposed to natural levels of radiation that are higher than those of nuclear plants. For instance, eating a banana or taking a cross-country flight exposes individuals to more radiation than does standing next to a nuclear power plant or a dry storage cask (which stores spent nuclear fuel).
By demanding that nuclear power plants emit as little radiation as possible, federal regulators communicate to the public that any level of radiation is dangerous—stoking fea
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