Poneman: DOE Grid Study Underscores Importance of Nuclear Energy

BETHESDA, Md. – Centrus President and CEO Daniel Poneman made the following statement today regarding the U.S. Department of Energy’s report on the electricity grid:

“The Department’s study underscores the importance of America’s nuclear industry to ensuring the continued reliability and resilience of the electricity grid. As the report correctly notes, the existing market structure doesn’t adequately reflect the benefits nuclear energy provides to the health of our electricity grid, our economy, or our national security.

“They say ‘you get what you pay for.’ If our electricity markets continue to fail to value reliability, resilience or low emissions, we’ll end up with less reliability, less resilience, and more emissions.

“The permanent and premature shutdown of nuclear plants would end up costing customers more in the long run, since it is far cheaper to operate these carbon-free, always-on, baseload power plants than to replace them.

“The report also underscores that nuclear energy is a ‘key strategic asset for the United States, and continued U.S. leadership in the global nuclear energy market has important nonproliferation and safety ramifications to national security interests.’

“Federal and state policy makers will benefit from the analysis in this report as they work to ensure a robust, diverse, and affordable power generation mix that meets America’s energy, economic, and national security needs.”

Contact:

Jeremy Derryberry (301) 564-3392