As a result of global warming and climate change escalation, more than 50 nations have promised to achieve “net-zero” greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. These net-zero initiatives mean producing radically lower levels of greenhouse gases while removing the pollutants we make from the atmosphere. As a result, clean energy sources like solar and wind are growing rapidly, and historic energy sources like coal-burning power plants are on their way out.
To combat extreme weather and climate change in America, Congress passed President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, targeting reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding access to clean drinking water, building a clean power grid and more. The U.S. government is hoping that these historic investments will help reduce emissions by well over one gigaton this decade, aiming to reduce U.S. emissions 50-52% of the 2005 levels by 2030, creating a 100% carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and achieving a net-zero economy by 2050. Already moving in this direction, the U.S. has implemented green energy generation from renewable sources, including hydropower and geothermal power, that surpassed coal in 2020 and is now second only to gas.
Clean energy does pose a challenge as it is an irregular energy source. While wind towers and solar panels create cost-effective power, often cheaper than coal or even gas, there will be a need for massive investments in the power grid. To sustain the ebb and flow of demand, excess generating capacity and storage, will be required to provide reliable electricity and ultimately drive out greenhouse emissions. So, suppose wind and solar are pushed to do the heavy lifting themselves. In that case, this strategy ends up being much more expensive and demanding land and infrastructure than other possible pathways. A recent study sponsored by the Environmental Defense Fund and the Clean Air Task Force concluded that to meet its net-zero pledge by 2045, the state of California will need power that is not only “clean” but “firm.” Incorporating “electricity sources that don’t depend on the weather” and do not have limitations in how long they can produce power, as batteries do. The same is true worldwide, and nuclear offers a relatively stable energy source.
Nuclear power can play an essential role in a low-carbon world by providing “clean firm power,” despite longstanding concerns over its safety. The Wall Street Journal reported that worldwide, 450 reactors generate 10% of the total electricity consumed today, down from more than 15% in 2005, thanks to a rapid global build-out of power capacity that has largely left nuclear behind. Nuclear power in the West will collapse like coal generation unless aging reactors are replaced with new plants. The next generation of nuclear reactors, such as small modular reactors (SMRs), could give the world a vital tool for reducing carbon emissions. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, advanced SMRs offer many advantages, such as relatively small physical footprints, reduced capital investment, the ability to be sited in locations not possible for larger nuclear plants and provisions for incremental power add-ons. In addition, through the intentional engineering for safety, many precautions needed for large reactors are not required for small reactors as they offer more significant safeguards and security advantages.
Finding this clean-firm energy spans many industries, from mining and extraction to infrastructure and actual power generation. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) remarked that “meeting our climate goals requires a well-coordinated approach across the U.S. economy — one that taps into American ingenuity and harnesses our most abundant resources, including the wind that blows off our coasts...” At Scot Forge, we believe the state of the environment is the ultimate, global employee-ownership program. Our responsibility is to leave it better than we found it, preserving our world for future generations.
Whether your team needs reliable parts to sustain net-zero or is working on R&D for things like carbon extraction, SMR design and mass energy storage, Scot Forge employee-owners can help. We strive to be an extension of your team, bringing more than 125 years of metal shaping knowledge to your project.