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A28 u.s. news
Diaranson 20 aPriL 2022

Biden launches $6B effort to save distressed nuclear plants

“U.S. nuclear power plants jobs, dealing an economic
contribute more than half blow to local communities, Twenty more reactors faced
of our carbon-free electric- according to the DOE. A closure in the last decade be-
ity, and President Biden is quarter or more of the fleet is fore states stepped in to save
committed to keeping these at risk, the DOE added. The them, according to the Nu-
plants active to reach our owners of seven currently clear Energy Institute, the in-
clean energy goals,” Energy operating reactors have al- dustry’s trade association. Il-
Secretary Jennifer Granholm ready announced plans to re- linois is spending nearly $700
said in a statement. “We’re tire them through 2025. million to keep three plants
using every tool available to open while additional renew-
get this country powered by Most U.S. nuclear plants able resources come online.
clean energy by 2035, and were built between 1970 and
that includes prioritizing our 1990 and it’s costing more to Low electricity prices are
existing nuclear fleet to allow operate an aging fleet. The the main cause of this trend,
for continued emissions-free only nuclear plant under con- though federal and state poli-
electricity generation and struction in the United States cies to boost wind and solar
economic stability for the is in Georgia. Costs have bal- have contributed as well, the
(AP) — The Biden admin- financially distressed nuclear communities leading this im- looned and another delay was NEI added.
istration is launching a $6 reactors. portant work.” announced in February.
billion effort to rescue There are 55 commercial
nuclear power plants at Owners or operators of nu- A strong majority of states The shuttered reactors in- nuclear power plants with 93
risk of closing, citing the clear power reactors that are — about two-thirds — say clude Indian Point Energy nuclear reactors in 28 U.S.
need to continue nuclear expected to shut down for nuclear, in one fashion or an- Center in New York, Pilgrim states. Nuclear power already
energy as a carbon-free economic reasons can apply other, will help take the place Nuclear Power Station in provides about 20% of elec-
source of power that helps for funding to avoid closing of fossil fuels. A dozen U.S. Massachusetts, Fort Calhoun tricity in the U.S., or about
to combat climate change. prematurely. The first round commercial nuclear power Nuclear Generating Station half the nation’s carbon-free
of awards will prioritize re- reactors have closed in the in Nebraska and Duane Ar- energy.
A certification and bidding actors that have already an- past decade before their li- nold Energy Center in Iowa.
process opened Tuesday for nounced plans to close. censes expired, largely due Entergy cited low natural gas If reactors do close before
a civil nuclear credit program to competition from cheaper prices and increased operat- their licenses expire, fos-
that is intended to bail out The second round will be natural gas, massive operat- ing costs as key factors in its sil fuel plants will likely fill
financially distressed own- opened up to more economi- ing losses due to low electric- decision to close Indian Point the void and emissions will
ers or operators of nuclear cally at-risk facilities. The ity prices and escalating costs, last year. New York officials increase, which would be a
power reactors, the U.S. De- program was funded through or the cost of major repairs. sought the shutdown, saying substantial setback, said An-
partment of Energy told The President Joe Biden’s $1 the plant 24 miles (39 kilo- drew Griffith, acting assistant
Associated Press exclusively, trillion infrastructure deal, This has led to a rise in emis- meters) north of Manhattan secretary for nuclear energy
shortly before the official an- which he signed into law in sions in those regions, poorer posed too great a risk to mil- at DOE.
nouncement. It’s the largest November. air quality and the loss of lions of people who live and
federal investment in saving thousands of high-paying work nearby.

Strong influences help mold 2022 US Teacher of the Year

(AP) — It hardly seems a looked like me in front of the after graduating from the “They could have said, ‘No.
stretch to say Kurt Russell Russell will spend the next classroom who all the kids College of Wooster in 1994. We don’t need that right
was born to be a history year representing educators enjoyed,” Russell said. “This He helped develop an Afri- now,’” Russell said.
teacher. and serving as an ambassa- seemed like a profession that can American history course
dor for students and teachers I could enjoy. It just changed at Oberlin High School in his Oberlin High School Princi-
Raised on his mother’s sto- across the country, the orga- my life.” first year there. pal Brent Betts lauded Rus-
ries about segregation and nization said. sell’s work.
the civil rights movement His parents, Jerry and Retta In addition to teaching two
in Alabama and influenced His classroom journey to Russell, who grew up attend- other general history classes, Russell also is the boys bas-
by teachers from his child- teaching began with his ing segregated schools in Ala- Russell and a music teacher ketball coach at Oberlin. His
hood, the 50-year-old Rus- white kindergarten teacher, bama, moved to Oberlin in have developed a class called team finished the season with
sell has spent the last 25 years Francine Toss, who read a the late 1960s, his father for Black Music in the Afri- a 16-6 record and a confer-
teaching history and African picture book about the Rev. construction work and his can Diaspora that covers the ence championship. Betts
American history at Oberlin Martin Luther King Jr. as he mother to escape the vestiges blues, jazz and R&B. said Russell sees the develop-
High School outside Cleve- and other students sat in a of the Jim Crow south. ment of young men as more
land. circle in her classroom. He credited the school ad- important than developing
His mother as a high school ministration for support- basketball players.
The Council of Chief State “She had the audacity to in- student in Linden, Alabama, ing the creation of the class.
School Officers announced troduce literature that was marched with the Rev. Mar-
Tuesday that Russell is the culturally relevant,” Russell tin Luther King Jr., who
organization’s National said. “I thought, ‘Wow, that’s came to Linden at the invi-
Teacher of the Year for 2022. a guy who looks like me.’” tation of the Rev. Ralph Ab-
The group previously named ernathy, King’s close friend
him Ohio’s teacher of the The die was further cast for and collaborator in the civil
year. his future career as an eighth- rights movement. Students
grader when he walked into left school that day to join the
“Kurt’s extensive career a math class taught by Larry march.
shows the power of educa- Thomas, the first Black male
tors to shape the lives of stu- teacher he had encountered. “That’s how I fell in love
dents from the classroom to Russell said he was impressed with history, by hearing those
extracurricular activities to by Thomas’ demeanor and stories,” Russell said.
the basketball court,” CC- how he carried himself in the
SSO Chief Executive Officer classroom. Russell obtained his “dream
Carissa Moffat Miller said in job” of teaching in Oberlin,
a statement. “He was someone who the city where he grew up,