Southeast Climate & Energy Network is a nonprofit that promotes left-leaning climate and energy policies. Southeast Climate & Energy has supported a petition opposing the use of emissions free nuclear energy. 1
Opposition to Nuclear Energy
Southeast Climate & Energy was one of more than 650 signatories on an August 2022 letter organized by People vs Fossil Fuels and addressed to the “Democratic Leadership” in Congress. The letter was titled: “Opposition to Fossil Fuel Project Approvals and Permitting Reforms Conditioned on the Inflation Reduction Act.” 1
The letter portrayed as “false solutions” carbon sequestration, carbon-free nuclear energy and all sources of energy not approved as “renewable” by the signatories: “Relying only on large scale investments in renewable energy and environmental justice alone will not stave off climate disaster if Congress simultaneously puts its legislative foot on the gas to expand fossil fuel production and false solutions like carbon capture, hydrogen, biomass, biofuels, factory farm gas, and nuclear power.” 1
Nuclear power plants produce no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions, and as of 2021 accounted for 20 percent of American electricity production—the largest source of zero carbon electricity in the United States. 2 An October 2018 proposal from The Nature Conservancy noted that zero-carbon nuclear plants produced 7.8 percent of total world energy output and recommended reducing carbon emissions by increasing nuclear capacity to 33 percent of total world energy output. 3
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References
- “Letter from 650+ Groups Opposing Fossil Fuel Projects and Proposed Permitting Reforms.” People vs Fossil Fuels. August 24, 2022. Accessed July 21, 2025. https://peoplevsfossilfuels.org/dirty-deal-letter/
- “Nuclear explained.” U.S. Energy Information Administration. Accessed July 21, 2025. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/us-nuclear-industry.php
- “The Science of Sustainability.” The Nature Conservancy. October 13, 2018. Accessed July 21, 2025. https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/the-science-of-sustainability/