Granholm: Nuclear plant revival “extremely positive”
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Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm speaks with Axios' Andrew Freedman yesterday. Photo: Sam Popp on behalf of Axios
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm sees "extremely positive" signs in the potential reactor revival at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, she told Axios.
Why it matters: Rising power demand from AI data centers and new manufacturing has both Congress and the Biden administration increasingly bullish on nuclear power.
- "We know that it's going to require a huge amount of power demand. We also know that the hyperscalers are eager to bring their clean power with them," Granholm said Monday at Axios House Climate Week/UN General Assembly in New York.
Zoom in: Constellation and Microsoft last week announced a 20-year power supply deal to restart an 835 megawatt reactor at Three Mile Island that's been dormant since 2019.
- Constellation has indicated that the deal is reliant on energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act.
- The climate law is spurring a "hockey stick" graph of low-and-zero carbon power projects to come online, Granholm said.
- "We will be adding 60 gigawatts of clean power on our grid this year," she said.
Between the lines: Power providers are eyeing similar nuclear revivals around the country, but the industry's renaissance is far from a sure thing.
- The Three Mile Island project and others could be costly and will require a lengthy regulatory approval process.
- Still, Granholm noted that the round-the-clock power these reactors can provide is crucial in a world of rising energy demand.
- "We have modeled for this at the Department of Energy, and we know that nuclear is absolutely an important part of that clean power future."
Granholm is also bullish on advanced geothermal and small modular reactors.
- And she sees an important role for carbon capture, unlike former climate envoy John Kerry, who cast doubt on the technology in an interview with Axios earlier Monday.
- "If we're going to get to net zero by 2050, carbon management solutions are a part of the equation," she said. "They just are."
Yes, but: A low-carbon future is contingent on a modern power grid that can handle the coming demand and influx of new sources of power generation.
- Granholm said Congress should start looking at the grid more like highways and other big infrastructure projects that lawmakers are frequently willing to fund.
- "We need more investment on a regular basis, not just a one-off grant basis, so I think Congress should think about that going forward."
