TOKYO (AP) — The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Friday that advanced nuclear technology will be “crucial” for both the United States and Japan as they step up cooperation to achieve decarbonization goals.
After talks with his Japanese counterpart Akihiro Nishimura in Tokyo, Michael Reagan told a joint news conference that his country’s nuclear power will play a role and that the opportunity for advanced nuclear technology will be critical to meeting our climate goals. .”
“I think the science tells us that we need to respond urgently to the climate crisis and that we have nuclear power and nuclear technology and that we can play a role in contributing to a zero-emissions climate,” he said. For Japan’s recent transition to nuclear power.
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has ordered his government to consider developing safer, smaller nuclear power plants, putting a new focus on nuclear power after several of the country’s plants were shut down last week.
Kishida said Japan should consider all energy mix options, including nuclear, to strengthen its “green transformation” efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions and ensure a stable energy supply. Japan in 2010 It has pledged to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
In the year The destruction of the Fukushima nuclear plant in 2011 sharply increased anti-nuclear sentiment and security concerns in Japan, but the government has been pushing for a return to nuclear power since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and under threat of energy shortages to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Japan has faced criticism for saying it will phase out fossil fuel use by 2050 without setting a clear deadline.
While maintaining a target of 20-22 percent nuclear energy as part of its energy mix for 2030, the Japanese government has previously said it will not build new plants or replace aging reactors to avoid criticism from a wary public. Kishida’s latest comments mark a radical shift from that position.
Kishida asked a government panel to decide by the end of the year on his proposal to develop and build “innovative reactors” such as small modular reactors, while also considering extending the life of aging reactors.
President Joe Biden believes it’s an “all-decks-out approach,” Reagan said, adding that investments in nuclear technology and carbon capture will increase the potential of renewable energy.
US and Japanese environmental officials have agreed to work together to accelerate global efforts to achieve decarbonisation and curb ocean plastic pollution, chemicals and other environmental issues.
Last month, Biden signed into law inflation-reduction legislation aimed at creating savings for certain new purchases of electric vehicles and by offering tax credits to homeowners who invest in energy-saving appliances.
As wind, solar and battery storage costs decline and dominate future markets, current technology remains essential to the goal of zero emissions “if we are to respond in time to the climate crisis,” Reagan said.
