US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm said during a House appropriations committee that she was open to subsidising nuclear power plants.

“We’re not going to be able to achieve our climate goals if our nuclear power plants shut down, we have to find ways to keep them operating,” she said.

“This question of some direct subsidy or some way to support these plants to stay open, that’s still an open question, but I know that this administration would be eager to work with Congress on it,” Ms Granholm added.