New Colorado bill would designate nuclear as clean energy

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Colorado lawmakers are looking into giving nuclear energy the green light with a new bill that would designate it as clean energy.

The largest coal plant in the State of Colorado, the Comanche power station, will close in a few years due to green energy mandates in the state. As a way to meet those demands, some state lawmakers that nuclear should join solar and wind under the label of clean energy.

According to the bill, designating nuclear as clean will primarily pave the way for more federal funding for energy projects. The bill says that nuclear generates about 50 percent of our country’s carbon-free power and sponsors of the bill claim that now-available, smaller reactors are less invasive but provide the same benefits as large ones.

Environmental advocacy groups who oppose nuclear energy, claim this bill is working around a technicality in state law.

The bill is still in the early stages but proponents claim they have bipartisan support in the state house and senate. It was referred just last week to the house floor discussion.