The Most-Cited Number About the Inflation Reduction Act Is Probably Wrong, and That Could Be a Good Thing
By Dan Gearino
Reporting about the Inflation Reduction Act often includes the number $391 billion, which is based on the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate of the spending from the law’s programs related to climate and clean energy.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: nuclear
Nuclear energy provides almost 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Advocates have called for an expanded role for nuclear as an emissions-free fuel source. But the economics of building new reactors are daunting. In addition, lingering safety concerns are an institutionalized part of the calculation of nuclear regulation, and highly radioactive nuclear waste remains a can that public officials have been inclined to kick down the road. The Energy Information Administration projects a sharp decline in nuclear power generation over the next decade, as new nuclear plants — two are planned — are more than offset by anticipated retirements of several operating reactors.