The Biden administration is launching a program to keep struggling nuclear power plants from shutting down due to rising costs.
Nuclear power generates more than half of the country’s carbon-free electricity. But 12 reactors have closed since 2013, in the face of competition from other energy sources.
To qualify for the new program, the plants have to show that they’re retiring for economic reasons, and that emissions would increase if they did close.
The first round of funding will prioritize reactors that have already announced that they’re going to close. The second round will focus on facilities that are at-risk economically.
The funding comes from last year’s infrastructure deal.
NTD spoke with Jason Isaac, director of Life:Powered, to learn more.