Greetings!

In this issue we highlight a recent letter sent to Congress by a group of leading bipartisan non-proliferation experts; new U.S. legislation; civil nuclear developments in the Middle East, Africa and Asia; updates on emerging technologies and threats; and research studies on the value of nuclear power in managing carbon emissions. We also recommend several opinion pieces that caught our attention.

A recent letter sent by 24 bipartisan non-proliferation experts to Congress underscores the vital importance of preventing nuclear proliferation and an arms race in the Middle East while nations in that region move forward with nuclear power programs to meet their energy and environmental goals.

The most pragmatic way to prevent weapons potential in Saudi Arabia is to deeply engage that nation in the web of U.S. non-proliferation conditions and controls through a nuclear cooperation agreement. This approach will serve U.S. national security objectives and global non-proliferation goals. Failure to conclude an agreement with the U.S. will allow another nation to be the primary nuclear partner with Saudi Arabia for the remainder of this century – and it may be one that does not demand the same rigorous non-proliferation controls as the U.S.

Kenneth Luongo, President, Partnership for Global Security

Leading bipartisan non-proliferation experts sent a letter to Congress strongly supporting the conclusion of a 123 agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia as the most effective means of creating the barriers needed to prevent the misuse of civil nuclear power for nuclear weapons purposes and promoting U.S. foreign policy, national security, and non-proliferation interests in the Middle East and beyond.

French President Macron visited D.C. this week and urged President Trump not to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan without “having something more substantial instead.”

In an NPR interview, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif said that while his country is preparing for a potential U.S. withdrawal, it will not be interested in renegotiating the 2015 nuclear deal.

New Jersey passed legislation that will prevent the premature closing of the state’s nuclear power plants (NPP) and establish a zero-emissions certificate program.

The Battle Group reports that future closures of the Pennsylvania and Ohio nuclear plants will result in higher electricity prices and a dramatic increase in carbon emissions. Third Way’s memo also explains that even if the decrease of U.S. nuclear energy generation is limited to 20%, the U.S. will potentially experience a setback of 4.5 year’s worth of emissions-free energy growth. And, a study conducted by MIT and Argonne National Laboratory shows that nuclear plants can shift to flexible output levels that can assist integrating more renewable sources into the grid.

China Nuclear Energy Association's new report explains that if China wants to reach its 2020 nuclear goal, the country will have to accelerate its construction of new reactors up to six to eight per year.

In his recent remarks, Rosatom’s Central and Southern Africa Regional Vice President, Mr. Polikarpov stated the company's strong interest to continue playing an active role in the region by building nuclear plants and providing assistance to the countries' national energy systems.

Rosatom will provide a $25 billion loan to Egypt with a payment schedule of 35 years to start the construction of the four 1200 MW VVER nuclear reactors.

Also, Uzbekistan’s President announced his plans to sign an agreement with the Russian state-owned company to start the construction of a ~$13 billion NPP.

Last week, U.S. Energy Secretary Perry and India’s Oil and Gas Minister Pradhan reaffirmed their strong commitment to their civil nuclear partnership. Secretary Perry also reassured Westinghouse’s ability to construct the six planned nuclear reactors on time.

What The U.S. Can Do Now to Protect Against Russian Cyber Warfare Advances

Dallas News, April 11

Atoms for Africa: Is There A Future for Civil Nuclear Energy in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Center for Global Development, April 16

Environmentalists and Nuclear Power? It’s Complicated

New York Times, April 18

Rhetoric Aside, The US Commitment To Preventing Nuclear Terrorism Is Waning

The Hill, April 19

Africa is Looking to Nuclear Energy, and the U.S. is Nowhere in Sight

Third Way, April 19

Spotlight

Yesterday, PGS joined a group of 23 prominent bipartisan non-proliferation advocates in calling for a pragmatic agreement with Saudi Arabia to develop its nuclear energy sector while preventing the spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East. This is the first time that leading, bipartisan experts in non-proliferation have joined together on a major policy statement about nuclear development and security that recognizes the new nuclear realities of the 21st Century.

The Partnership for Global Security (PGS) is a recognized international leader and innovator in nuclear and transnational security policy developing actionable responses to 21st century security challenges by engaging international, private sector, and multidisciplinary expert partners to assess policy needs, identify effective strategies, and drive demonstrable results.