Republican legislators pushing for possible nuclear energy comeback in Maine

Though Maine decommissioned its only nuclear power plant at the turn of the century, Republicans seem to be laying the groundwork for the energy source to make a comeback. 

In arguments against solar tax credits and other forms of renewable energy, Republican leaders have said the state should be more open to considering nuclear energy as a low-emission power source.

“There’s a whole host of renewable energy options,” said Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook), in a recent press conference. “Obviously, we have a ton of hydro, but we also have a lot of nuclear options. I know Representative Paul has a number of bills in I think this session that deal with exploring that idea.”

Legislation this session introduced by Rep. Reagan Paul (R-Winterport) would have the state gather more information about potential new reactors, and specify how nuclear energy fits into Maine’s energy portfolio. The Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee was scheduled to hold public hearings Thursday morning on two of the bills but they were postponed after Gov. Janet Mills closed state offices for inclement weather. 

Nuclear power accounts for about 20% of electricity generation in the United States. A former Wiscasset plant, Maine Yankee, produced electricity starting in the early 1970s but the company behind it started the decommissioning process in the late 1990s. However, the regional power grid still utilizes nuclear from New England’s remaining nuclear power plants in New Hampshire and Connecticut.

Proponents of nuclear energy would like to see it play a larger role in discussions around the transition to clean energy since it doesn’t emit pollution nor is it subject to the same intermittency of solar and wind. 

However, critics say those benefits come with other health and environmental hazards. And despite advances in technology, nuclear projects can be expensive. The country’s newest reactor, which opened in 2023, ran into significant construction delays and cost overruns. Though, this reactor is larger than the type Paul is seeking to set the scene for in Maine.

Arguing that “regulatory burdens and lawsuits are what drives up the cost of nuclear,” Paul said her goal with the bills “is to help Mainers who are suffering with the third highest electricity costs in the nation.”

Paul also said her bills align with the state’s energy plan that the Governor’s Energy Office published earlier this year which lists nuclear as a way to augment the existing energy goals.

Heather Sanborn, the state’s new public advocate, said her office isn’t planning to testify on the bills because she doesn’t believe they will have a direct impact on ratepayers. 

“We’re not at that stage in nuclear implementation where there would be a ratepayer impact,” Sanborn said.

Trying to pave the way for nuclear

While Paul’s proposals aren’t necessarily advocating for Maine to build a new reactor, they could jumpstart the conversation around nuclear power in a state that has been largely pinning its clean energy future on offshore wind. 

Offshore wind was a key issue for Paul in her reelection campaign last year after the state announced its plan to build a port in her district to support its goal of developing 3,000 megawatts of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine by 2040. Paul also recently authored a letter from Maine Republican legislators to President Donald Trump thanking him for his executive order to temporarily halt new or renewed offshore wind leases in all areas of the outer continental shelf and asking him to take it a step further and halt existing projects. 

One of Paul’s proposals, LD 343, seeks to require the Public Utilities Commission to annually request informational bids to establish small modular nuclear reactors in the state. The requests would include information about the timing, cost, location and operating expenses for the reactors. Under the legislation, the modular reactors would need to be licensed and have a generating capacity of no more than 350 megawatts. For comparison, the reactor completed in 2023 in Georgia has a capacity just north of 1,100 megawatts. 

Though not binding, the bids would need to be included in an annual report to the Legislature and could be used in developing future contracts. 

Current Maine law requires that the construction of any nuclear power plant in the state must be approved by voters through a statewide referendum. However, Paul submitted another proposal titled: “An Act to Remove State-imposed Referendum Requirements on Nuclear Power Plant Construction.” The full text of that proposal hasn’t been printed yet.

While Paul’s proposals have other Republican co-sponsors, Rep. Sophie Warren (D-Scarborough) has also signed on to LD 342. If passed, electricity generated by newly developed nuclear power plants would be considered a renewable resource. 

There is debate as to whether nuclear energy should be considered renewable. While it creates a clean form of energy without the carbon dioxide emissions generated by burning fossil fuels, the uranium used in the process is a finite resource. 

Nuclear power plants also generate radioactive waste that can be dangerous to human health and remains for thousands of years. In 2000, the state passed stringent regulations about environmental clean up during the decommissioning of nuclear plants.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include context about the state’s energy plan. It was also updated to clarify that the reactors outlined in Paul’s bill are different than the one built in Georgia.