A two trillion-dollar infrastructure support bill proposed by the Joe Biden administration unveils the new president’s mindset on nuclear power and calls for ongoing funding for the industry that presents a dramatic political hot potato for political platforms.
The American Jobs Plan unveiled in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Wednesday does more than include support for American roads, bridges, and schools. It also reveals a new energy directive, in which intentions for a clean energy future are outlined.
The plan calls for spending that supports a clean-energy future. “Today, I’m proposing a plan for the nation that rewards work, not just rewards wealth,” Biden said. “And it’s going to create the strongest, most resilient, innovative economy in the world.”
The plan calls attention to aging infrastructure while directing spending to support both efficiency and union jobs for Americans.
Biden specifically called attention to the recent power outages in Texas, noting the incident calls for immediate “modernization” of the power grid. With a variety of sustainable clean-energy producers in mind, Biden is seeking “a more resilient grid, lower energy bills for middle-class Americans, improve(d) air quality and public health outcomes … and good jobs with a choice to join a union … on the path to achieving 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2035.”
The president’s new plan was unveiled the same week a science panel for the European Commission completed a report that said nuclear power was no more detrimental to human or societal health than other forms of sustainable energy production.