Protecting the Columbia from big tech’s nuclear proposals
by Kelly Campbell, Policy Director
Big tech made a big splash recently. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft all announced plans to fuel their voracious appetite for energy, needed for AI and data centers, using new or resurrected nuclear power plants. In our region, Amazon now says it wants in on a scheme to build new nuclear plants on the Columbia River at Hanford.
Over the years, Columbia Riverkeeper has watched plans to build new nuclear reactors on the Columbia and elsewhere in our region come and go. Will these latest plans come to fruition or fade away like previous nuclear fantasies? Are these “new” nuclear plants part of a real solution to climate change or a distraction?
We’ve been in the news lately sharing our view: new nuclear power is a dangerous and dirty diversion of funds from real climate solutions.
Check out some of our latest media on the issue:
Read:
The Rise and Fall of NuScale: a nuclear cautionary tale – Opinion Editorial in the Capital Chronicle
Watch:
Columbia Riverkeeper responds to Amazon’s plan to build nuclear reactors – Live interview on Fox 12 Now
WA nears energy crisis as Amazon funds nuclear reactors, sparking controversy – Coverage on Seattle’s Fox 13 Television
Want a deeper dive? Watch What’s the Deal with New Nuclear? – Our latest webinar “What’s the Deal with New Nuclear? With expert panelists M.V. Ramana, Leona Morgan (Diné), and Joshua Frank.
Take Action:
We’ll be following these new nuclear proposals closely and will keep you updated. Thank you for supporting our work to protect the Columbia River from the dangerous distraction of nuclear reactors.
Nuclear Power: a False Solution to the Climate Crisis
The nuclear power industry would like you to believe that Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMNRs) are a magic bullet to solve the climate crisis.