Media Coverage
Media Coverage
Press Contacts: Erik Cummins, Matt Hyams, Taina Rosa, Olivia Thomas
04.14.25
Ahead of the World Bank’s upcoming Spring Meetings—its first under the new U.S. administration—a group of leading energy experts and former administration officials, hosted by Energy for Growth Hub, led a press call urging the bank to modernize its energy portfolio by including nuclear energy. Among the participants was former commissioner of the U.S. Regulatory Commission and Pillsbury Nuclear Energy practice leader, Jeff Merrifield.
With the bank under pressure to align with the new administration’s climate and development goals, the call served as a key opportunity to promote nuclear energy as a solution for energy security, climate action and economic growth.
“Right now, the World Bank is tying the hands of developing nations by refusing to even consider one of the most secure, reliable forms of clean energy,” said Merrifield, who currently serves as Chair of the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council. “And into that vacuum step Russia and China. They’re offering nuclear packages that include full financing, construction and long-term fuel supply—locking countries into decades of dependency on authoritarian regimes.”
“If we want to counter that influence, we really need to provide viable alternatives,” he added. “That starts by removing the World Bank’s prohibition on nuclear financing and opening the door for U.S. and other allied firms to compete.”
To watch the full video, click here.