U.S. must step up in nuclear race: Column
Just a few weeks ago, China, the second largest trade partner of the United States and the second largest economy in the world, announced that it is "declaring war" on pollution. And even more recently, China announced that they are expanding their commitment to clean-air energy by expanding their nuclear energy fleet with the purchase of eight new American-designed reactors from Westinghouse. This is welcome news, not only because China is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, but also because China's initiative is an opportunity for the U.S. We are the global leader in clean energy technologies from wind, to solar, to nuclear energy. By growing our trade relationship with China and the rest of Asia, we can help to meet their growing needs for electricity and help them to become better environmental stewards.
During my tenure as the U.S. trade representative, one of my priorities was building global trade partnerships to help keep America competitive, and much of my focus was on the Asian economies and their growing demand for basic needs, such as electricity. Inevitably, more and more Asian economies will demand clean, reliable sources of energy. While technologies like wind and solar have an important place in any energy portfolio, only nuclear energy can meet the demand for reliable clean-air electricity that these growing economies need.
Right now, there are 71 new nuclear energy facilities under construction around the world – with another 172 in some stage of planning. The fastest region of growth is in Asia – with 28 facilities currently under construction in China. First, the good news – America has been a leader in the export of nuclear power plant designs, the technology that helps to build them, and the services that keep them running. China's purchase of an additional eight nuclear reactors will net $24 billion for Westinghouse – a company founded and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Now, the bad news – America's place in the global nuclear energy market has been slipping. But we can take steps to help ensure that our country continues to be a leader in the global nuclear energy market.
We should avoid unnecessary delays in executing and renewing civilian nuclear energy agreements, particularly those with our strategic trade partners in Asia, such as Taiwan, Vietnam and China. Renewing and signing new "123 agreements" to allow for the peaceful export of nuclear energy helps to advance nuclear energy safety, security and non-proliferation. Our strength is the quality of our brand -- U.S. nuclear technology is the safest and most advanced in the world. If we are able to secure strategic partnerships around nuclear energy with these countries, we can help to ensure when they build new nuclear facilities – because they will build them – they are using the safest and most advanced technology in the world. The added bonus? These projects create or support tens of thousands of high-paying American jobs and they prevent the emission of hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon pollution.
The economic benefits of nuclear energy exports are enormous. Already, Westinghouse has four of its advanced reactors under construction in China. Those four reactors alone support more than 15,000 high-paying jobs here in the United States - and there is room to grow. Over the course of the next decade, the international nuclear energy market is expected to be worth $500 billion to $750 billion. If the United States can capture even a fraction of that market, we have the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs. Companies involved in the nuclear energy supply chain already support tens of thousands of additional American jobs – jobs we can help sustain and secure by expanding our share of the international nuclear energy market.
The benefits that America can accrue from expanded nuclear energy exports are not purely economic – they are also environmental. Nuclear energy is clean-air energy. Nuclear energy facilities do not produce greenhouse gases or other harmful air pollution like mercury, smog or soot. In fact, they are the only source of baseload, "always-on," electricity that can make that claim. Even when you measure everything that it takes to build and operate a facility – they are still one of the least carbon-intensive sources of electricity the world has ever produced. I applaud the administration's recent approval of the 123 agreement with Vietnam and hope it is a sign of things to come. Prompt negotiation of future 123 agreements not only benefits our economy and environment, it will give Congress appropriate time to exercise its oversight authority before the agreements are put into place. As our country moves forward on all forms of trade agreements and special relationships, I'd urge our leaders in the administration and in the Congress, to remember that keeping America as the leading global power in civilian nuclear energy is good for international safety, it's good for international security and it's good for our economy and environment.
Ambassador Ron Kirk is co-chair of the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition, a nuclear energy industry group. He previously served as U.S. Trade Representative and mayor of Dallas.
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