Will the climate crisis force America to reconsider nuclear power?
Reaching net-zero targets will be much harder without it
THE DIABLO CANYON nuclear power plant lies about 200 miles north of Los Angeles on California's central coast. Its twin reactors sit between the Pacific Ocean on one side and emerald hills on the other. The Golden State’s only remaining nuclear plant provides nearly 9% of its electricity generation, and accounts for 15% of its clean-electricity production. Yet despite California’s aggressive climate goals and a national push to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, Diablo Canyon is set to close down by 2025. A new report from researchers at Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) reveals just how detrimental that would be.
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Energy deficient”
United States November 13th 2021
- Why the situation on America’s southern border has become unmanageable
- Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill will boost competitiveness for decades
- John Durham’s indictments reflect poorly on the American media
- Will the climate crisis force America to reconsider nuclear power?
- A large minority of Hispanic voters support Trump populism
From the November 13th 2021 edition
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