The Colorado Young Dems are endorsing, HB25-1040, Adding Nuclear Energy as a Clean Energy Resource. Our policy committee looked intently at this bill and reached out to hear from topic experts. Sources are linked at bottom alongside ways to share and support!
The climate crisis is here - brought on by polluters who lied to us for decades 4, 5. Hitting climate tipping points and increase in disasters is something that threatens all of us 6, 7. We have momentum in Colorado and as leaders our team took a hard look at this bill and if nuclear energy should be classified as clean.
Our team talked to climate activists, electrical engineers, a nuclear engineering phd student, and Head of the Nuclear Engineering program at Mines. Between those conversations and our research we looked to answer key questions on the topic : Is it safe? Can it be done justly? Is it feasible and rewarding?
Modern nuclear energy has slowed but our country still has the most of any country, at a total of 94 reactors. Here in Colorado, or if you have spent more time in the US west, the chance is you have seen them 100 times more in media than in person. That said they make up about 19% of US energy 3 and safe for the workers and nearby area 1, 13. The only modern disaster was brought on by a historic earthquake into Tsunami. It might not surprise you but since the 1950s fossil fuel companies have been financing fear campaigns against nuclear energy 4.
Most of the time when we talk justice of nuclear it is about mining and waste. Our country has used unjust methods 2 in the past during the nuclear proliferation era. We vehemently disagree with methods of the past and believe mining and waste can be handled in a just way. We learned in our research that Nuclear waste is not as much as you think, all US waste could fit on a football field 10 yards high 14, and in France they have begun methods to recycle old nuclear waste.
France is also a great case, especially when compared to Germany, of a country that has been able to decarbonize and bring energy to the region 8, 9. Few energy methods can produce energy at scale, at a low cost, and not pump fossil fuels into our climate. Additionally our team discussed if the cost of solar, wind, and batteries actually takes into account the unjust labor and mining associated with the industries 10, 11.
A re-classification as a clean energy resource would open our state to investment into nuclear projects. Our federal government is looking for all ways and reasons to drill and combat green energy advances. Modern nuclear being an option is a safe, just, and feasible path towards decarbonization, improving our air quality, and creating reliable low-cost clean energy 12.
This is heading to senate committee on Monday March 10th and if passed would go to the Senate whole for a vote.
Ways To Share And Support:
Email your state Senator
Committee hearing Monday, March 10th 1:30pm start (likely go 3-6 hours)
Submit written or sign up for testimony here
Sources and Research:
1 - Advanced nuclear energy: the safest and most renewable clean energy https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211339822000880
2 - The History of Uranium Mining and the Navajo People https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3222290/
3 - What is U.S. electricity generation by energy source?
4 - Fossil Fuel Accountability
5 - Unveiling Big Oil's Campaign of Lies
6 - The Tipping Points of Climate Change: How Will Our World Change?
7 - Tipping points in the climate system
8 - Economics of nuclear power: The France-Germany divide explained
9 - How Germany Lost Another World War
10 - Evidence grows of forced labour and slavery in production of solar panels, wind turbines
11 - Forced Labor and the Clean Energy Transition: Finding A Responsible Way Forward
12 - Nuclear Wasted: Why the Cost of Nuclear Energy is Misunderstood
13 - The Big Lie About Nuclear Waste
14 - 5 Fast Facts about Spent Nuclear Fuel
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