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ANS Releases Nuclear in the States Toolkit

The American Nuclear Society introduced the Nuclear in the States Toolkit, Version 1.0 today at a media event in Washington, D.C.

The toolkit catalogs policies related to new and existing nuclear reactors for state policymakers to consider as they draft their Clean Power Plan compliance strategies. It was developed by the ANS Special Committee on Nuclear in the States to catalog the myriad policy options available at the state-level to support new and existing nuclear energy facilities. “This report is intended to prompt discussion about nuclear as a reliable clean-energy source. ANS does not endorse or support any specific policy pathway. The intent of this report is to serve as a menu of policy options for state policymakers to consider as they move ahead on their clean energy compliance plans,” said ANS President Eugene S. Grecheck.

Edward Kee, President of Nuclear Economics Consulting Group and who serves on the committee said, “This toolkit will help state administrations understand the clean air contribution existing nuclear facilities are making to the environment by reducing carbon pollution. Any premature reactor closure has immediate negative environmental effects on states and their surrounding regions, since most are replaced by fossil fuels.”

Among the subjects covered in the toolkit are electricity capacity markets, governmental support, public hearings, and tax policies. There are also policy- and market-based tools included with comments and examples provided for each tool. By developing this guide ANS hopes to prevent further nuclear plant closures and promote new plant builds.

Nuclear energy provides nearly two-thirds of the nation’s clean energy, with 99 reactors that are currently operating in 30 states. One new reactor is expected to come on line in 2016, and four more are under construction in the U.S. Retiring operating nuclear power plants has a variety of negative effects that includes increased carbon emissions from electricity provided by fossil fuels, hundreds of lost skilled jobs per plant, and the surrounding community deprived of hundreds of millions of dollars per year in economic benefits.

Read more about the Nuclear in the States policy issue here.

For more information on the Nuclear in the States Toolkit, email nucleartoolkit@ans.org . 

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