Mission
The Campaign for a Green Nuclear Deal is a nationwide advocacy effort to articulate a new vision for nuclear growth as a way to regain American industrial capabilities and create dignified jobs in clean energy and manufacturing.
By organizing and campaigning at the state level while building support nationally, we will change hearts and minds.
Labor unions will begin demanding support from utilities, and legislators at the state and federal levels will see the advantage of becoming champions for Green Nuclear Deal legislation
50% of U.S. electricity from nuclear by 2050 is possible, but only if we take decisive action
Policy Principles
1. Commit to a buildout
The team of men and women building Vogtle 3 and 4 is America’s most valuable industrial asset. Without a new project to move on to, the learning, supply chains, work teams, and experience gained from Vogtle will all be dissolved with the conclusion of the project.
A commitment to building out a fleet of standardized AP1000 reactors starting with the cancelled project in South Carolina would reduce costs and build times in order to successfully electrify the economy and cut carbon emissions .
2. Protect operating nuclear plants
Right now, three nuclear plants are scheduled for premature closure by the end of the year, which represents enough clean electricity for nearly 4 million homes.
America’s fleet of nuclear power plants is our largest source of carbon-free energy, providing almost 20% of the country’s electricity. Existing reactors can and should be refurbished and upgraded to keep them operating for decades to come.
3. Train a workforce
The nuclear power industry requires a considerable workforce, creating jobs more jobs in construction and operation than any other type of electricity generation.
As more and more reactors come online, education and certification will need to keep up with the growing demand for workers in nuclear and related fields. This will mean massive public investment in engineering and vocational programs to graduate the next generation of nuclear workers.
4. Invest in American forging
Decades of deindustrialization have hampered the industrial capacity of America. Few, if any, domestic forgers are able to deliver the ultra-heavy forgings required to build nuclear plants.
The U.S. will need to cultivate the competency of domestic heavy forging in order to construct our nuclear reactors, which will provide much needed well paying jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign supply chains.
5. Export technology and expertise
More than thirty countries are considering, planning, or starting nuclear power programs.
Having a robust and sustainable domestic nuclear industry will allow American enterprise to better compete with other successful exporters of nuclear technology, such as Russia and soon China, in partnering with other nations looking to develop nuclear energy of their own.
6. Accelerate deployment of advanced technology
The threat of climate change has brought innovation to the fore of the nuclear industry. Increasing investment in R&D, streamlining regulation, and smoothing supply chains will bring the most promising technologies to market to power the next generation fleet of reactors.
Winning export business abroad will partially rely on America’s ability to compete on new technologies.