A Colorado Springs Republican senator, Larry Liston, has received bipartisan support this year for the first time for his annually submitted legislation that would add nuclear energy to Colorado’s state definition of clean energy, which would qualify it for new grants. Nuclear energy accounts for about 18% of the country’s total energy production, making it the single-largest source of non-fossil fuel electricity. Rep. Alex Valdez, a Democrat carrying the bill in the House, said his support grew while he was looking for “creative ways” to meet Colorado’s growing electricity demands — not just from households and electric cars, but from industrial needs, like data centers for emerging technologies. Supporters of the bill also cite the opportunity for investment and workforce related to nuclear energy, especially in areas where people are concerned about the impact of new energy regulations.
Multiple environmental justice groups have voiced concerns about this potential reclassification of nuclear energy. Research has found that small nuclear reactors like the ones highlighted by lawmakers can create a higher volume of nuclear waste than traditional, large-scale nuclear power plants for the energy they produce. “Apart from the danger of nuclear waste, defining nuclear as clean is a dangerous barrier to achieving our climate goals and does not make economic sense,” Heidi Leathwood, climate policy analyst with 350 Colorado, said in a statement. “The bill would take public funding away from renewable energy, and it would allow utilities to meet their clean energy requirements by charging ratepayers for expensive nuclear projects.” Environmental groups also pointed out that current clean energy technologies, like wind, solar, and geothermal energy, are quicker, less expensive, and proven job creators, and that legislators and communities should stay focused on these current clean energies to improve energy use and create jobs in Colorado.
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(Synopsis by Brittany Noble)