Op-Ed: Nuclear forges path forward despite legislature’s shortsightedness

Audio By Carbonatix

This publication correctly reported that nuclear power production in Pennsylvania was essentially relegated to being an afterthought for quite some time, but now, lawmakers are realizing this reliable, carbon-free source of baseload energy warrants a closer look as we prepare for significantly greater demand on our 13-state power grid.

I serve as a co-chair on the bipartisan, bicameral Nuclear Energy Caucus because I know the meaningful role nuclear power has played in Pennsylvania’s past and continues to play present day, plus I want to ensure it is well positioned for the future.

My 2022 legislation brought about a Joint State Government Commission report that addresses the benefits of nuclear energy and the development of small modular reactors. Page 17 touches on something quite important to my community – that the 2019 closure of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant was shortsighted and caused an 8% drop in our state’s nuclear energy production.

Let me be abundantly clear: shuttering Three Mile Island was economically devastating for our region and largely the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s fault for not better incorporating nuclear power in the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS) Act.

I wrote House Bill 11 of 2019 to update the AEPS provisions. That bill died in committee – without so much as five minutes of formal debate – at a time when the nuclear industry employed 16,000 people statewide and contributed $69 million in net state tax revenues.

Looking to the future, though, allows us to reconsider how nuclear power can play a significant part in our energy portfolio and cement Pennsylvania’s position as a leading producer of electricity. Our grid operator, PJM Interconnection, has repeatedly sounded the alarm that new demand (particularly related to data centers) could outpace supply by 2032.

Constellation Energy is reopening Three Mile Island and rebranding it as the Crane Clean Energy Center to usher in a new era of generation in Londonderry Township. That means more than 600 jobs at the plant and 3,400 contractors on-site during the reopening process. The plant will produce 835 megawatts to be loaded onto the grid and purchased by Microsoft Corp. in a private agreement.

This project near my home is just one of what I hope will be many new or expanded plants across Pennsylvania in the coming years.

I’m thankful pending measures look to spur development of small modular reactors (SMRs) that can produce electricity with smaller footprints and fewer start-up costs. This is our opportunity to be a national leader in both emerging technology and a diversified energy portfolio, rather than playing catch-up or making an unforced error like the Legislature did in 2019.

Nuclear power production is heavily regulated, safe, efficient and able to be made 24 hours a day regardless of weather conditions. SMRs will be in use somewhere in the United States within five years. My hope is that we have some of the first ones right here in the Commonwealth because we need a robust, diversified power grid to ensure reliability, lowered costs for consumers and high-quality jobs for Pennsylvania’s workers.