The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) hosted a webinar series on nuclear energy. As nuclear power plants across the country face economic challenges in the current electricity marketplace, many states are considering the tradeoffs of potential actions they might pursue to help maintain potential benefits to grid reliability, sustainability and economic development or to pursue alternative resources. NGA has been helping governor’s offices explore these issues through a workshop in March 2017, follow up webinars and technical assistance. This webinar series examined state policy regarding nuclear power, its attributes, as well as the future of this energy resource.
Webinars
September 7, 2017
Webinar 1: State Nuclear Energy Policy Trends
This webinar provided an overview of recent state nuclear energy policy actions or proposals, including financial incentives aiding existing nuclear. Two state perspectives were shared: first, from California on transitioning to other resources, followed by Pennsylvania’s perspective on potential actions being considered to support existing nuclear.
Moderator:
- Jessica Rackley, senior policy analyst, Environment, Energy & Transportation Division, NGA Center
Speakers:
- Catie Hausman, assistant professor, Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan
- Rob Oglesby, executive director, California Energy Commission
- Sam Robinson, deputy secretary of policy and planning, Office of the Governor, Pennsylvania
October 26, 2017
Webinar 2: The Future of Nuclear Power
This webinar highlighted for state policymakers some of the ways states have been addressing issues around existing nuclear power generation, what models have been used to-date, including in Illinois, and what other policy approaches could work. It also offered an overview of research that looks at the value of existing U.S. reactors, and the potential consequences of nuclear capacity withdrawal.
Moderator:
- Jessica Rackley, senior policy analyst, Environment, Energy & Transportation Division, NGA Center
Speakers:
- Alex Schaefer, legislative director, Natural Resources Committee, NGA
- Jessica Lovering, director of energy, The Breakthrough Institute
- Mischa Fisher, advisor to the Governor Bruce Rauner, State of Illinois
