Should NC consider nuclear power a clean energy source? A proposed bill says yes

The change is just one word.

But clean energy advocates and even Gov. Roy Cooper have expressed concerns over a proposed bill in Raleigh that would redefine "renewable energy" as "clean energy" under state law. The move, if approved by the N.C. General Assembly, also would place nuclear power on an even playing field with wind, solar and hydroelectric power as North Carolina works toward a carbon-free power grid by phasing out coal-fired power plants and replacing them with cleaner options.

Under current regulations, nuclear power isn't defined as a renewable power source. State Sen. Paul Newton, the bill's primary sponsor, said that's wrong.

"It's carbon-free," said the Cabarrus County Republican on Thursday. "There's no denying that. And it's much more environmentally friendly when compared to today's other renewables, which require a much larger footprint to create a similar amount of power."

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Critics say renewable energy sources like wind and solar farms require large amounts of land to produce power equivalent to conventional sources like a natural gas-fired power plant or nuclear plant. They also say they operate at the vagaries of Mother Nature, and require power storage facilities to match production times with demand requirements.

"It runs 24-7," Newton said of nuclear plants. "It's there whenever you need it, whether the sun is shining or not."

Cooper, a Democrat, has committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in North Carolina by mid-century as part of the state's push to fight climate change and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. A bipartisan bill passed in 2021 gives the state's electric utility providers until 2030 to reduce carbon emissions by 70% from 2005 levels and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The law also gives the N.C. Utilities Commission broad discretion to determine what mix of energy should be employed to reach those climate goals.

But Newton, the state Senate majority leader and a former Duke Energy executive, said House Bill 951 also requires the state to make the "green" transition in the most safe, reliable and affordable way. That means moving to a cleaner power grid while keeping the lights on and not hitting consumers with massive utility bill increases.

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"Nuclear ticks all of these boxes," Newton said, noting that nuclear energy has been a safe and affordable part of the state's power grid for decades. "My goal is to reach carbon neutrality at the least cost while maintaining reliability for all North Carolinians. Nuclear helps us do that."

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, North Carolina’s current energy mix based on 2021 data is 31% nuclear energy, 33% natural gas, 21% coal, and 15% renewables. Duke Energy operates six nuclear power plants in the Carolinas, including the Brunswick Nuclear Plant 25 miles south of Wilmington, that can generate 10.7 megawatts of power, according to Duke's website.

'A necessary tool in the state's energy toolbox'

But Cooper appears to have some reservations about Senate Bill 678. At the State Energy Conference last month, he told gathered business leaders that he didn't want politicians to be seen as influencing the utilities commission's authority on what power sources should go into the clean energy plan − or be given preferential treatment.

On Thursday a Cooper spokesman said the governor would review the legislation if and when it reaches his desk. The bill, which passed the N.C. Senate unanimously in late April, is now in the N.C. House.

Clean energy advocates say North Carolina also doesn't need to look in its rearview mirror at nuclear energy, a power source they claim produces large amounts of spent nuclear fuel that's hard to dispose of and raises questions of safety after high-profile accidents at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, Chernobyl in Ukraine, and Fukushima in Japan.

"Nuclear energy may be zero-emission, but it is not renewable and it's certainly not clean," said a statement from CleanAIRE NC, which advocates for clean energy and environmental justice. "Uranium is a mined resource. And on the backend storing nuclear waste poses major, unanswered safety questions. With wind and solar capacity rapidly expanding, is it really worth gambling with our health and safety?"

They also say the talk of small modular nuclear reactors (SMR) − which the industry says offers a safer, more affordable alternative to the large reactors in service today − is throwing good money after bad by promoting investment in nuclear technology that's unproven and might never make it off the drawing board into actual service.

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Newton discounts those concerns, calling nuclear power "a necessary tool in the state's energy toolbox."

He also said North Carolina is poised to be a leader in the development of new nuclear technology, including fusion reactors that seek to harness the power source that fuels the sun, thanks to its long history of operating nuclear plants and extensive nuclear educational and industrial base. That includes GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, a nuclear alliance between General Electric and Japan's Hitachi that is headquartered just north of Wilmington and is one of the country's leaders in developing next-generation SWRs.

"We're the perfect home for nuclear technology to grow," Newton said of the Tar Heel State.

'Not the only options out there'

In late December the utilities commission published its first draft of the state's carbon plan. The roadmap, which largely mirrored suggestions made by Duke, included moving forward on several fronts to develop a diverse power generation mix. The list included additional natural gas-fired power plants, pursuing SWRs and hydrogen power, and ordering Duke to seek license renewal for its existing nuclear plants.

The decision frustrated many clean energy advocates and environmentalists who said the commission short changed renewable and increasingly affordable energy sources like solar and wind and potential energy savings from efficiency programs in favor of traditional power-producing options and questionable technologies.

The commission will now reevaluate the carbon plan every two years, starting in 2024, with Duke submitting a new proposal by September that will begin the review process.

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Newton said he knows some people believe his bill is a shot against renewables, especially wind and solar whose costs are dropping quickly in relation to natural gas and other traditional power sources as global economies of scale take hold. But he insists that's not the case.

"I just think we should say wind and solar aren't the only options out there," Newton said. "My goal is to reach carbon neutrality at the least cost while maintaining reliability for all North Carolinians."

Reporter Gareth McGrath can be reached at GMcGrath@Gannett.com or @GarethMcGrathSN on Twitter. This story was produced with financial support from 1Earth Fund and the Prentice Foundation. The USA TODAY Network maintains full  editorial control of the work.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Bill would redefine nuclear power as a clean energy source in NC