April 22nd marks Earth Day. The holiday has long dismissed true conservation efforts. It also hasn’t acknowledged the energy industry’s role in reducing its environmental footprint.
Natural gas, nuclear, and coal account for 78% of U.S. electricity generation. With rising electricity demand, the U.S. can demonstrate that harnessing more American-made energy won’t despoil the environment. Rather, it stands to improve it.
Let’s play “Two Truths and a Lie” and see how much you know about American-made energy.
A. Nuclear is the least land-intensive energy source.
B. Offshore oil and gas development harms the environment.
C. Domestic coal production is cleaner today.
A. TRUE! Nuclear energy is a reliable baseload power operating nearly 93% of the year with few to no interruptions. A typical one gigawatt (GW) facility only requires a square mile of land. In contrast, utility-scale solar and wind projects—falsely billed as clean energy sources—require 75 and 360 times more land to produce the equivalent amount of energy for 25% and 35% of the year, respectively.
The recently completed Plant Vogtle in Georgia, the largest constructed nuclear power plant project in decades, is actively involved in wildlife habitat restoration efforts surrounding its facilities. Their efforts have resulted in 1,000 acres of forest being conserved for various species. Georgia Power, the utility overseeing Plant Vogtle, has also worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to bolster habitat for a growing and thriving gopher tortoise population on protected property adjacent to the plant.
B. FALSE. Oil and gas produced in America don’t degrade the environment compared to most countries. Even offshore oil and gas have an interesting connection to a conservation program called the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).
Instead of taxpayers funding the program, the LWCF is entirely funded by offshore oil and gas royalties. $900 million in royalties annually goes to improving public lands and expanding outdoor recreational opportunities across the U.S. In 2020, President Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act, the most consequential conservation bill in a century, to permanently fund the LWCF so Americans could enjoy spaces like National Parks, trails, national forests, and historical and cultural sites.
C. TRUE! Compared to coal production from decades ago, producing coal in the U.S. is far cleaner today. That’s why the Trump administration is supercharging new coal exploration opportunities.
American coal, the third largest source of our electricity generation, is much cleaner than that produced by other countries. The Department of Energy notes new U.S. coal plants boast pollution controls that reduce “nitrogen oxides by 83%, sulfur dioxide by 98%, and particulate matter by 99.8% compared to plants without controls.”
Bottom Line:
American-made energy boosts the economy and our national security interests without despoiling the environment. Prioritizing the development of reliable, abundant, and secure energy sources like oil, gas, nuclear, and coal won’t imperil our clean air, water, and lands.
To learn more about American-made energy, go here.