New England Governors commit to exploring advanced nuclear energy

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced that the governors of all six New England states have issued a joint statement outlining their regional commitment to exploring advanced nuclear energy technologies “while continuing to support the safe, affordable, and reliable operation of the region’s existing nuclear facilities.” The statement outlines two key next steps. First, the governors are directing their respective state energy offices to explore opportunities to ensure the continued safe, affordable, and reliable operation of the region’s existing nuclear generation facilities in coordination with ISO New England, the facilities’ owners, federal agencies, and other state and regional stakeholders. Second, the governors are directing state energy agencies to take steps to explore deployment of advanced nuclear generation in states and communities that express a willingness to host such resources. This includes exploring innovative financing structures, federal funding and financial support opportunities, public-private partnerships, and regulatory designs for advanced nuclear energy that will protect consumers, help meet the region’s energy needs, and enable New England to capture job growth and economic development opportunities from the deployment of new nuclear technologies with advanced safety systems. Of note, electricity consumption in New England is expected to increase more than 40% over the next 20 years, according to ISO New England. Demand for electricity in the winter is expected to grow fastest. ISO New England’s latest forecast shows that winter peak demand is projected to double by 2045.

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