The congresswoman who sponsored the US Green New Deal suggested the plan won’t include any new money for nuclear power – that’s a mistake, says David Titley

Nuclear power plants still provide a big share of US electricity Martin Bond/Alamy Stock Photo

Since last November, proposals in the US for a Green New Deal (GND) have been causing much debate. The GND aims to address both climate change and economic inequality, but support for it is dividing along traditional partisan lines. It is championed by many Democratic 2020 presidential candidates vying for their progressive wing votes, and criticised by many Republicans.

One of the contentious issues is the role in the GND of civilian nuclear power, or lack thereof. The issue is muddied by confusion between the …