As we continue to work for clean energy solutions to the climate crisis, nuclear power has begun to reenter the conversation as a ‘clean energy alternative,’ despite the dangers it poses to our communities and environment. This past legislative session, LD 1549, “An Act to Direct the Public Utilities Commission to Seek Informational Bids Regarding Small Modular Nuclear Reactors in the State,” got a positive vote in the Energy, Utilities, and Technology Committee, and its fate is yet to be decided in the Legislature this session. Sierra Club remains in opposition for new nuclear energy, and advocates for a nuclear free future.
The United Nations International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported this year that society is only roughly eight years away from exceeding catastrophic climate tipping points. In April the IPCC reported that renewable energy (like solar and wind, which are abundant in Maine) is ten times more efficient than nuclear in mitigating CO2 in the atmosphere. Furthermore, we can fully meet our clean energy goals without new nuclear.
Besides reactor safety, both nuclear proliferation and the required long-term storage of nuclear waste (which remains lethal for more than 100,000 years) make nuclear power a uniquely dangerous energy technology for humanity. Despite 60 years of industry assurances, there is still no proven method to permanently isolate and store these toxic isotopes, some of which remain poisonous for hundreds of thousands of years. In Wiscasset, waste from the shuttered Maine Yankee nuclear facility (the only nuclear facility in Maine) is still not stored adequately. Further, there is no guarantee that leaks during operation or other accidents, like Fukushima and Chernobyl, that could seriously harm the environment and public health won’t happen.
Nuclear is no solution to climate change and every dollar spent on nuclear is one less dollar spent on truly safe, affordable and renewable energy sources. In future legislative sessions, and with the power of our grassroots movement, we will continue to advocate for a nuclear free future in Maine.
You can read more about the Sierra Club’s nuclear policies on our website.