In this article recently featured in Issues in Science and Technology, Jessica Lovering and Suzanne Hobbs Baker, the co-founders of Good Energy Collective, discuss the necessary support needed to develop the nuclear energy industry.
When discussing whether and how the nuclear industry and advanced nuclear technologies can change public opinion around nuclear power, Lovering and Hobbs Baker reference ECA’s New Nuclear Initiative to define how local communities already hosting DOE federal facilities can attract and support new nuclear development and missions. With decades of unique experiences, resources and capabilities in ECA energy communities, the
authors note the potential to contribute to a new nuclear power future:
"Each of the 13 member communities, which include such facilities as the Idaho National Laboratory and the Savannah River Site, have legacy nuclear experience, and many have capable local nuclear workforces. Nuclear history and technologies are a part of the fabric of these communities, and they are eager to remain leaders as the sector continues to evolve. As the national transition to clean energy begins in earnest,
communities hosting extraction and processing infrastructure for coal and natural gas may also be interested in the early adoption of advanced nuclear technologies."
The article lays out the crucial role nuclear energy can play in the national and global response to address climate goals and greenhouse gas emissions, but outlines crucial steps needed to facilitate it.
The article notes that “Whether there’s a place for new advanced nuclear technologies in a sweeping clean energy transition will ultimately depend on the sector’s ability to embrace progressive changes in its governance, educational pipeline, and approach to community engagement and siting. Ultimately, the nuclear industry should stop expecting public support and figure out how to earn it by answering opponents’ real concerns.”
Innovation cannot be solely limited to technological developments, innovation must also extend to models of engagement on the community, state, and federal level.
ECA was fortunate to hear from both Jessica Lovering and Suzanne Hobbs Baker at the “Building the Nuclear Energy Future” webinar hosted by ECA's New Nuclear Initiative on December 16, 2020. Recordings of this and related webinars can be found on ECA’s YouTube page here.
