EPA HEAD: ADVANCED NUKE TEC KEY TO MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE

The head of the U.S. Environment Protection Agency said that advanced nuclear technology will be “critical” for both the United States and Japan as they step up cooperation to meet decarbonization goals.

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Michael Regan, after holding talks with his Japanese counterpart Akihiro Nishimura in Tokyo, told a joint news conference that nuclear energy in their countries plays a role and “the opportunities for advanced nuclear technology will be critical if we’re going to meet our climate goals.”

“I think the science tells us that we have to respond to the climate crisis with a sense of urgency and nuclear energy and nuclear technology has and can have a role in continuing with a zero emissions contribution to the climate,” he said, showing support for Japan’s recent shift toward returning to nuclear energy.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said last week he instructed his government to consider developing safer, smaller nuclear reactors, in a renewed emphasis on nuclear energy years after many of the country’s plants were shut down.