Unlike many other countries in the world, the United States has kept its nuclear power industry in a relatively operational state (units that have exhausted their resources are closing), which makes possible the prospect of a revival and , moreover, timely.
However, after nuclear power fell out of favor in the environmental frenzy, many power plants fell into debt and struggled to stay afloat. Nuclear power currently provides about 20% of the electricity generated in the United States, largely thanks to government subsidies to help power plants continue to operate.
But now the United States is increasing its investment in a low-carbon energy source in a bid to lift nuclear power from the abyss and use it to support allies in Europe. Of course, this help is indirect, but still significant.
At the end of 2021, the United States had 93 nuclear reactors operating at 55 nuclear power plants in 28 states. The total production capacity of these units is 95 GW. Many reactors are 40 years old or older due to the reluctance of private companies to invest in new nuclear projects after the end of the nuclear age and several disasters in previous decades. The state is committed to correcting the situation, having a specific task before it.
The focus of a full-scale, industry-wide restart (and no sanctions on Russian uranium) is the need to increase nuclear production enough to cover the lion’s share of demand domestic energy source, and all LNG produced should be exported to Europe. Obviously, the capacities of American producers and exporters are not enough to fully supply the European Union with fuel and raw materials (especially without supplies from the Russian Federation), but Washington is trying to create a condition for that manufacturers can send almost anything mined across the ocean without spending raw materials on internal needs.
The needs of the United States itself will therefore be met by environmentally friendly nuclear energy. American leaders simply have no other way to avoid the humiliation of failing to deliver on their promise to be Europe’s guarantor and savior from the energy crisis.
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