New industries such as cryptocurrency and cannabis are boosting industry forecasts, straining efforts to cut emissions
Demand for power is soaring, creating a new energy crisis for the United States – one that could make the climate crisis even worse.
After more than 30 years of falling or flat demand for electricity, forecasts say the nation will need the equivalent of about 34 new nuclear plants, or 38 gigawatts, over the next five years to power data centers and manufacturing and electrify buildings and vehicles, according to filings made to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and compiled by Grid Strategies.
Since those filings, several utilities have said they will need even more power.
Georgia Power, which has more than 2.7 million customers, told regulators in 2022 it would need the equivalent of an extra single mid-sized power plant for the rest of the decade. But late last year, it said it will need 17 times more electricity – the equivalent of four new nuclear units – because of new data centers and manufacturing.
A solution is to build carbon-free nuclear plants. Instead we are shutting them down and replacing them with natural gas.
Nuclear isn’t really a solution, it’s a stop-gap measure as we transition fully to renewables.
I love nuclear, but there’s a lot of waste product and it’s very difficult to dispose safely. They need to be on geologically stable ground in areas not prone to natural disaster, which is harder to find than you might think. The materials used for it are limited on earth, and the output can’t be scaled up/down to meet grid demand. The plants themselves are much safer than they used to be, but there is still some risk of catastrophe, especially in older plants (those being shut down). Maintenance can also be risky.
They are a good solution to replace dirtier options until cleaner ones can be made in quantities needed for full renewable, but should not be the end point.
Also they may be carbon free in daily operation, but cement is one of the leading causes of carbon emissions, so constructing them is still super dirty. Mind, any other traditional power plant (coal/gas) will have the same problem, just want to be clear that it’s not carbon free.