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| Photo Credit: AP. |
TOKYO (AP) — The head of the U.S. Environment Protection Agency said Friday that advanced nuclear technology will be “critical” for both the United States and Japan as they step up cooperation to meet decarbonization goals.
Michael
Regan, after holding talks with his Japanese counterpart Akihiro Nishimura in
Tokyo, told a joint news conference that nuclear energy in their countries
plays a role and “the opportunities for advanced nuclear technology will be
critical if we’re going to meet our climate goals.”
“I think the
science tells us that we have to respond to the climate crisis with a sense of
urgency and nuclear energy and nuclear technology has and can have a role in
continuing with a zero emissions contribution to the climate,” he said, showing
support for Japan’s recent shift toward returning to nuclear energy.
Japanese
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said last week he instructed his government to
consider developing safer, smaller nuclear reactors, in a renewed emphasis on
nuclear energy years after many of the country’s plants were shut down.
Kishida said
Japan needs to consider all options of energy mix, including nuclear, to
bolster its “green transformation” effort to curb emissions of greenhouse gases
and to secure stable energy supply. Japan has pledged to reach carbon
neutrality by 2050.
Anti-nuclear
sentiment and safety concerns rose sharply in Japan after the 2011 Fukushima
nuclear plant meltdowns, but the government has been pushing for a return to
nuclear energy amid worries of power shortage following Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine and a global push to reduce greenhouse gases. Japan has faced criticism
for saying it will phase out fossil fuel use by 2050 without showing clearer
timeline.
While
maintaining a 20%-22% target for nuclear energy as part of its energy mix for
2030, Japan’s government had previously insisted it was not considering
building new plants or replacing aged reactors, apparently to avoid stoking
criticism from a wary public. Kishida’s recent comment represents a sharp
change from that stance.
Kishida
asked a government panel to decide by the end of the year on its proposal for
the development and construction of “new innovative reactors,” such as small
modular reactors, while also considering extending operational lifespan of
aging reactors.
President
Joe Biden also believes that it is an “all hands on deck approach,” Regan said,
adding that investments in nuclear technology and carbon capture will
complement the big potential for renewable energy.
Biden last
month signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act that includes energy
provisions aimed at creating savings by providing tax credit for new purchases
of some electric vehicles and for home owners who invest in energy-efficient
equipment.
While costs
of wind, solar and battery storage are coming down and will dominate the future
market, existing technology will remain important for the zero emissions goal
“if we want to respond to the climate crisis in a timely manner,” Regan said.