Biden administration announces $6 billion plan to save US nuke reactors, promote 'clean energy'

The Biden administration has announced a $6 billion plan to keep open nuclear power plants across the country and further its "clean energy" agenda.

The plan is being led by the Energy Department through its Civil Nuclear Credit Program.

The agency announced the plan Tuesday and told owners and operators of nuclear power reactors that are expected to shut down due to economic circumstances how to avoid premature closure and apply for funding – including instructions on formulating and submitting sealed bids for the allocation of credits.

The money is being made available through the $1 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that President Biden signed into law in November 2021.

About 52% of the United States' so-called clean energy is nuclear power.

"President Biden is committed to keeping these plants active to reach our clean energy goals," Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in announcing the plan.

"We're using every tool available to get this country powered by clean energy by 2035, and that includes prioritizing our existing nuclear fleet to allow for continued emissions-free electricity generation and economic stability for the communities leading this important work." 

The agency also said that "shifting energy markets and other economic factors" have resulted in the early closure of 12 commercial reactors across the country since 2013 and that the administration has identified its current fleet of reactors as "a vital resource to achieve net-zero emissions economy-wide by 2050."