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SALT LAKE CITY — Renewable energy produced by wind or solar outpaced that generated by burning coal last year in the United States, largely because of the decrease in cost associated with green energy.
Improvements in batteries and other technology will likely help renewable energy continue to grow, although the U.S. electrical grid is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels.
That's why Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, wants to bring attention to what he says is an "often-overlooked but incredibly powerful solution" to clean energy: nuclear power.
"Nuclear power is a critical component of our clean energy future. Its ability to generate large amounts of electricity with minimal greenhouse gas emissions makes it an invaluable part of our energy grid," Curtis, a vice chairman of the House Energy, Climate and Grid Security Subcommittee and chairman of the Conservative Climate Caucus, wrote in a Washington Times op-ed Tuesday. "Yet, despite its potential, the nuclear industry has faced significant challenges in recent decades, including regulatory hurdles and permitting bottlenecks."
Just over 18% of all American energy produced in 2023 came from nuclear, according to the Energy Information Administration, but much of the enriched uranium that powers nuclear plants in the U.S. comes from Russia, which has cornered half the global market.
American companies buy around $1 billion worth of enriched uranium each year — roughly one-third of what is used in the U.S. — from Russia's state-owned nuclear agency, making U.S. clean energy vulnerable to the whims of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the New York Times reported in June.
Curtis said he "discovered the shocking fact that we, in the United States, by and large, do not have the ability to mine or enrich uranium. ... The United States can be a powerhouse for clean energy, but we must be willing to use our domestic resources."
But the process of building a robust nuclear energy industry in the U.S. could take years, and many planned projects have faced steep hurdles and regulatory delays, according to the New York Times.
To improve domestic nuclear production, Curtis called for nuclear permitting reform, which he said would streamline the process and provide more certainty for investors interested in the market.
"By doing so, U.S. companies can attract the necessary private capital to modernize existing nuclear infrastructure and develop advanced reactors that are even safer and more efficient," he said.
That investment and modernization is essential for the U.S. to reach a future driven by clean energy, Curtis said.
"To truly embrace this future, we must advocate for sensible nuclear permitting reform, ensuring that companies can continue to drive innovation, create jobs, and provide clean, reliable energy for generations to come."
Curtis' House colleague, Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, has issued similar calls for deregulation, arguing that reviews of new mining projects are "cumbersome" and hinder efforts to mine precious metals like lithium and cobalt, which are essential to making batteries to power electric vehicles.
