Chris Barnard writes about the need to reduce red tape for nuclear power in RealClearEnergy.
- A pipe that needs a brace is costing Plant Vogtle’s Units 3 and 4, the first nuclear power plants to be constructed in the United States in more than three decades, close to $30 million in relicensing fees.
- Outdated regulations and excessive red tape are stalling the development of the country’s largest source of reliable, carbon-free power.
- It takes an average of 6.7 years for a nuclear plant to receive approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and another 9 years for a plant to actually get built.
- To meet energy and environmental goals, the U.S. must modernize the permitting and licensing process for all energy sources, including nuclear power.
“Plant Vogtle’s Units 3 and 4 are the first nuclear reactors to be constructed in the United States in more than three decades, and it’s no wonder. Overregulation and the absurd cost – both time-wise and financially – of the NRC permitting process are stopping clean, safe nuclear energy in its tracks. We’re allowing outdated fears and bureaucratic inertia dictate our energy future, while our energy security and climate goals suffer.”
Read the full here.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
