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The US Government is Funding Nuclear Research for Carbon Reduction

September 5, 2023
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The US Government is Funding Nuclear Research for Carbon Reduction

The United States Department of Energy has recently announced it will fund two groundbreaking studies to explore if nuclear energy can power carbon capture.

The details:

  • The United States Department of Energy has awarded two grants to studies that aim to validate that nuclear energy can play a role in fuelling carbon capture technology
  • The first study will be led by GE Vernova, the clean energy arm of General Electric, and will focus on using nuclear energy to power a direct air capture hub in Houston, Texas
  • The second study will be led by Northwestern University and will focus on a large scale direct air capture facility being powered by nuclear

Why it matters:

  • These studies are the first of their kind and could validate an entirely new approach to carbon capture and climate tech
  • Seeing government funding for nuclear energy is a noteworthy milestone, as it represents a potential new paradigm shift in clean energy production

Going deeper:

  • Nuclear energy has been a widely debated topic, with many thought leaders in climate tech saying it is a vital approach for both net zero and energy independence
  • The carbon footprint of nuclear energy is extremely low, which makes it an ideal energy source for clean technologies
  • Oklo, a startup that builds nuclear reactors, recently announced it would go public via a SPAC deal that values the company at roughly $850M USD. OpenAI founder Sam Altman is one of Oklo’s notable investors and is an outspoken supporter of nuclear energy

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