For five decades, opposition to nuclear energy from the institutional environmental movement has been monolithic. Today that changed... thebreakthrough.org/index.php/voic…
1. This morning, @UCSUSA released a report acknowledging, as we @TheBTI have long argued, that shuttered nuclear plants have reliably been replaced primarily by coal and natural gas, not RE. blog.ucsusa.org/ken-kimmell/uc…
2. UCS modeling, using NREL ReEDS model, concludes this will continue to be case for foreseeable future. Fossil, not RE, will be primary replacement when nukes close. This conclusion has been hotly contested within environmental movement, widely accepted beyond.
3. For this reason, UCS endorses policy, including tech neutral Clean Energy Standard that we, @ThirdWayEnergy, others have long advocated, to keep nuclear plants operating. UCS has framed this as a limited, stop gap measure, which it surely is...
4. But one with much broader implications. Implicit in acknowledging a) plant closures = higher emissions and b) policy to support nuclear necessary is recognition that RE alone not ready to replace fossil now or for foreseeable future.
5. Deep decarbonization will require what @JesseJenkins calls "firm low carbon resources." Practically today, that means nuclear energy. @UCSUSA is the first major ENGO to recognize this. The dam has broken and others will likely follow suit. @WorldResources already has.
6. Today's developments are testament to pro-nuclear environmental advocates who have spent years respectfully engaging ENGO's. Special shoutouts to @JesseJenkins @J_Lovering @atrembath @jamesonmcb @ThirdWayEnergy @cleanaircatf @jsfreed @ArmondCohen1 @rdfitzpat @SuzyHobbsBaker
7. Huge credit due too, to climate scientists who put their reputations on line to deliver a different sort of inconvenient truth to environmental community. @DrJamesHansen Kerry Emanuel, @KenCaldeira Tom Wigley, @DavidWLea .
8. And to early environmental voices in wilderness, @JeLovelock @stewartbrand @mark_lynas David MacKay. There is still much work to do. But patient and respectful ideation, advocacy, and engagement is the only way for forward/ END
