The United States is at the crossroads of its energy future. Homeowners and business owners are struggling to keep up with increased energy bills, and power companies are trying to provide enough baseload energy to heat, cool, and light homes while fueling the rise of artificial intelligence and data centers.
There’s no question that to meet Americans’ growing energy demands, the U.S. must invest in reliable, affordable, and clean energy. The solution lies with an all-of-the-above strategy that includes all forms of energy generation, including fossil fuels, renewables, and, most importantly, nuclear power.
Twenty-two nations have called for the tripling of nuclear energy by 2050. Based on that alone, the U.S.’s fair share would be equivalent to more than 80 gigawatts of new nuclear power. Simply put, it must produce much more nuclear energy to reach that point.
The U.S. should look to the success of other countries, such as France, which develops 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy and is now the world’s largest net exporter of electricity. By successfully integrating nuclear energy into their energy portfolios, other nations have unlocked energy abundance for their people and economies.
The same must be done in the U.S. to meet its growing energy needs and to compete with foreign adversaries.
To add perspective about where the U.S. stands globally on nuclear energy production and development, right now, communist China is building fourth-generation reactors — and the U.S. is not.
But here is the positive news: We are making significant strides to establish a robust nuclear energy portfolio in the U.S.
Over the past few years, and certainly throughout the 118th Congress, nuclear energy has gained significant bipartisan momentum. Through multiple pieces of legislation, the U.S. has laid the groundwork for accelerating nuclear energy innovation.
The U.S. has also begun working to enhance domestic nuclear fuel production and reduce reliance on foreign sources. This is especially important since the U.S. currently imports 90% of the uranium fuel used in our nuclear reactors.
The Nuclear Fuel Security Act, signed into law last year, will help the U.S. bolster domestic uranium mining, production, enrichment, and conversion capabilities. This legislation is critical in ensuring the U.S. meets its nuclear energy needs without depending on foreign sources, particularly from adversarial nations, such as Russia.
To that end, the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act, signed into law earlier this year, is another instrumental piece of legislation. It prohibits the import of uranium from Russia, further securing the U.S. nuclear supply chain and promoting domestic energy independence.
Additionally, the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2024 will modernize the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and strengthen the U.S. nuclear energy industry by providing streamlined and predictable regulation.
Supporting legislation that helps small start-up businesses engage in the development of advanced nuclear technologies is key to advancing our domestic energy prowess. This includes efforts to reduce regulatory hurdles and financial burdens and encourage innovation and growth within the U.S.’s nuclear sector.
Through these actions, lawmakers have demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing U.S. nuclear energy capabilities and securing its energy independence.
But there is still much more work to be done.
As leaders working toward energy solutions, we strongly believe that America must lead the world in nuclear energy development. We refuse to sit back and cede energy leadership to other nations, which is why we will continue working together to invest in nuclear energy to establish U.S. energy dominance.
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Bob Latta is a U.S. representative for Ohio and a senior member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee. Jeremy Harrell is the CEO of ClearPath, a D.C.-based clean energy organization that works to advance policies that accelerate innovations to reduce and remove global emissions.