Did you know that nuclear power accounts for approximately 40% of all of the electricity generated in New Jersey – and 90% of the state’s carbon-free energy?

That’s a tremendous amount of energy to power New Jersey and its economy, and all without emitting molecule of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. That makes nuclear energy a critical pillar in the state’s clean energy ambitions.

Today, the need to generate as much carbon-free electricity as possible has only grown more urgent and, therefore, so has the need to preserve New Jersey’s nuclear plants.

New Jersey’s Energy Master Plan has established a goal of 100% carbon-free energy by 2050. Without our nuclear plants, the state risks backsliding on carbon reductions we’ve worked so hard to achieve just as the demand for carbon-free energy is continuing to grow. We cannot afford to move backward.

When nuclear plants close, carbon emissions are sure to increase. It’s happened here:

Oyster Creek was New Jersey’s smallest nuclear plant when it shut down permanently in October 2018. During the year that followed, more than 40% of the electricity generated to replace Oyster Creek’s production came from increased use of New Jersey’s natural gas power plants. The rest was supplied by out-of-state coal and natural gas plants.

The result: An additional 3.1 million tons of carbon released into the air.

New Jersey’s 3,500-megawatt Salem and Hope Creek nuclear plants are five times larger than Oyster Creek, magnifying the carbon emissions impact if they ceased to operate for any reason. Every year, these nuclear plants help avoid carbon emissions that are equal to taking 3 million cars off the road.

If you agree that climate change is one of the pre-eminent challenges of our time, you should know that nuclear is the starting point we can’t live without.

This post is sponsored content from PSE&G.