The Acts of Convention

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring,

That the 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church acknowledge that in the transition away from fossil fuels there is a need to support the use of reliable carbon-free energy sources such as nuclear energy as a supplemental and stable supporter of weather dependent sources such as wind and solar; and be it further  endorse the use of carbon-free nuclear energy for replacing the use of fossil fuel, which, when achieved, will reduce pollution of the environment, reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, and increase the reliability and resilience of the power grid year-round and during extreme weather events; and be it further

Resolved, That by endorsing the use of carbon-free nuclear energy, the General Convention recognize that it is a valuable tool to replace the use of fossil fuels, reduce pollution in the environment and support a more just, equitable, and sustainable world for historically disadvantaged communities across the United States and the world, especially in developing countries; and be it further

Resolved, That the 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church endorse the use of carbon-free nuclear energy, recognizing that it is a valuable tool to replace fossil fuels while the supportive technologies for the successful implementation clean energy sources such as wind and solar energy are further being developed; and be it further  

Resolved, That the 81st Convention of the Episcopal Church reaffirm General Convention Resolution 2018-D081, which recognizes that the negative impacts caused by the transition away from fossil fuels upon those communities that are economically, culturally, and socially identified with the industry. And further support plans for suitable coal plants to be converted into nuclear plants as these communities are reliant on the plant to support their livelihoods; and be it further 

Resolved, That the 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church in its the endorsement of the use of carbon-free nuclear energy extends to keeping existing nuclear power plants online provided that they continue to meet the strict regulatory standards and make advancements as new safety mechanisms become available to complement other clean energy sources, so to avoid increased fossil fuel use that would occur from premature closures of nuclear power plants, while also being a proponent of further research into alternative carbon-free energy generation; and be it further 

Resolved, The 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church recognize the concern of used nuclear fuel (“nuclear waste”). It supports responsible methods for securing such material and protecting the public from exposure to its radiation, and also supports the continued development of technology to recycle programs for the fuel that can be reused and the safe, long-term disposal facilities for unusable material.