June 26, 2025
Akahata ‘current’ column
U.S. President Trump last month signed an executive order that is intended to quadruple the U.S. nuclear energy capacity by 2050. To achieve this, the U.S. government says, “It would turn the clock back on over 50 years of overregulation in the nuclear industry.”
The order directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to make a final decision on new reactor construction with a deadline of no more than 18 months, which currently take several years, and on license renewals for existing reactors within one year. However, concerns are arising that safety measures may be left behind.
In March 1979, a serious nuclear accident occurred at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, leaking a vast amount of radiation into the surrounding area. The biggest lesson learned from this accident is that nuclear power generation is not safe.
The U.S. Trump government advocates the use of taxpayer dollars to promote nuclear power generation which the government says has lost any economic appeal.
Meanwhile, Japan’s LDP-Komei government has also made it clear that it is returning to increasing nuclear power and intends to make maximum use of nuclear energy. It has even created a mechanism in order to allow aging reactors to operate beyond their lifespan limit. It seeks to increase the share of nuclear power generation to around 20% by fiscal 2040, which would far exceed the current 8.5%.
Both Japan and the U.S. must remember that nuclear power is not safe, and should expand the introduction of renewable sources of energy to tackle climate change.
U.S. President Trump last month signed an executive order that is intended to quadruple the U.S. nuclear energy capacity by 2050. To achieve this, the U.S. government says, “It would turn the clock back on over 50 years of overregulation in the nuclear industry.”
The order directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to make a final decision on new reactor construction with a deadline of no more than 18 months, which currently take several years, and on license renewals for existing reactors within one year. However, concerns are arising that safety measures may be left behind.
In March 1979, a serious nuclear accident occurred at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, leaking a vast amount of radiation into the surrounding area. The biggest lesson learned from this accident is that nuclear power generation is not safe.
The U.S. Trump government advocates the use of taxpayer dollars to promote nuclear power generation which the government says has lost any economic appeal.
Meanwhile, Japan’s LDP-Komei government has also made it clear that it is returning to increasing nuclear power and intends to make maximum use of nuclear energy. It has even created a mechanism in order to allow aging reactors to operate beyond their lifespan limit. It seeks to increase the share of nuclear power generation to around 20% by fiscal 2040, which would far exceed the current 8.5%.
Both Japan and the U.S. must remember that nuclear power is not safe, and should expand the introduction of renewable sources of energy to tackle climate change.
