Environment Article

Republican presidential nominee John McCain is a strong advocate of increasing the use of nuclear energy in the United States.

McCain Plans to Double U.S. Nuclear Capacity

At a campaign event in June 2008, McCain called for construction of 45 new nuclear reactors in the United States by 2030 and outlined a plan to build 100 new reactors long-term—a move that would essentially double the number of U.S. nuclear reactors and the amount of radioactive waste they produce.

"Nuclear power is safe, nuclear power is green [and] does not emit greenhouse gases,” McCain said during the third debate between Republican presidential candidates in June 2007. “Nuclear power is used on Navy ships which have sailed around the world for 60 years without an accident."

Nuclear Power Essential to McCain Energy Plan

McCain has said global warming would be one of three key issues for his presidency, and he sees nuclear power as a central component of his plan to manage climate change, because it generates energy without directly producing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. McCain also believes that ending U.S. reliance on foreign oil will require the use of nuclear energy.

“If we're looking for a vast supply of reliable and low-cost electricity, with zero carbon emissions and long-term price stability, that's the working definition of nuclear energy,” McCain said.

McCain Has No Clear Plan for Nuclear Waste Disposal

Nuclear energy also creates a vast supply of radioactive waste that will remain toxic for 100,000 years or more, and no one has come up with a workable plan to manage and dispose of that lethal byproduct. And while nuclear reactors may not produce greenhouse gases, mining, processing and transporting uranium does, and so does transporting nuclear waste.

A longtime enthusiastic proponent of the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, McCain has repeatedly said that having one central storage facility for U.S. nuclear waste is safer—in terms of both public health and national security—than storing it at numerous locations adjacent to nuclear power plants nationwide.

No Nuclear Waste in My Backyard, McCain Says

What McCain does not support is transporting nuclear waste through his home state of Arizona on its way to Yucca Mountain, should the proposed storage facility eventually be completed.

During an interview in May 2007, was asked, “What about the transportation? Would you be comfortable with nuclear waste coming through Arizona on its way, you know, going through Phoenix on its way to Yucca Mountain?” Shaking his head, McCain said, “No, I would not. No, I would not.” (Watch the on YouTube.)

McCain Urges Overseas Nuclear Waste Repository

During the final months of the 2008 presidential campaign, McCain softened his support for storing spent nuclear

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