Governor Mills Joins Bipartisan Group of New England Governors to Announce Commitment to Explore Nuclear Energy

Governors from the six New England states agree to direct their state energy agencies to explore advanced nuclear energy technology to address region's long-term energy needs

Governor Janet Mills today joined with a bipartisan group of New England governors on a regional commitment to explore advanced nuclear energy technologies to meet the region's electricity needs in future years.

Governor Mills joined Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte, Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee, and Vermont Governor Phil Scott to issue a joint statement outlining next steps to strengthen the region's energy reliability, affordability, and long-term supply.

"Adequate electricity supply is critical to growing our economies, preserving public health and safety, powering our homes and businesses, and stabilizing consumer prices as demand for electricity rises across the region" the New England Governors statement said."New England has a long tradition of collaborating on regional energy matters. As governors, we are committed to safeguarding our collective energy future through advancement of a diverse energy strategy that includes nuclear power, a pillar of New England's electric system."

The Governors' statement directs their state energy agencies to coordinate on ensuring the safe, affordable, and reliable operation of New England's existing nuclear generation facilities and exploring new advanced nuclear generation opportunities in the region.

Examples of this coordination may include exploring innovative financing structures, Federal funding opportunities, public-private partnerships, and regulatory designs for advanced nuclear energy to protect consumers, meet regional energy needs, and enable New England to capture job growth and economic development opportunities.

The Governors' statement also reiterated their commitment to engaging local voices to explore appropriate, responsible locations in New England willing to be considered for potential new nuclear development. Pursuant to state law, any new nuclear facilities in Maine must be approved by voters in a statewide referendum.

Today, nuclear energy from plants in New England provides 25 percent of the region's electricity. More than half of New England's electricity is generated by natural gas, which leaves the region vulnerable to price shocks from volatile global energy markets.

The six New England states share a regional electricity grid, ISO-New England. Electricity consumption in New England is expected to increase more than 40 percent over the next 20 years, according to ISO-NE, especially in the winter, with ISO-NE's latest forecast expecting that winter peak demand is projected to double by 2045.

Read the Governors' Joint Statement here (PDF).