https://www.nei.org/news/2022/energy-security-and-coal-2-nuclear-...

https://www.nei.org/news/2022/energy-security-and-coal-2-nuclear-centered-at-nea

ICYMI: Energy Security and Coal-to-Nuclear Take Center Stage at NEA

Climate and clean energy stakeholders gathered at this year’s Nuclear Energy Assembly (NEA) to discuss nuclear as a solution to the world’s trials of today and tomorrow—from struggling job markets in local economies and staggering prices at the pump to existential threats like the global climate crisis.

Carbon-free power—and in particular nuclear power—is an essential part of the equation.
— Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Dr. Kathryn Huff during opening remarks

Energy Security in the Wake of Russia’s Invasion

With the ongoing tragedy in Ukraine top of mind, the challenge of meeting decarbonization goals while simultaneously achieving energy independence from Russia featured heavily during the conference. Over the three days, panelists and attendees discussed how the reliability of nuclear power can stabilize entire grids, ensuring protection from energy vulnerability.

No more strategic an energy source can there be but nuclear.
— Centrus Energy President and CEO Dan Poneman

Today’s commercial nuclear reactors supply nearly 20 percent of all U.S. electricity and 50 percent of our carbon-free power. Current events and the reality of meeting net zero emissions by 2050 have pushed governments around the world to protect the existing fleet of nuclear power plants—as well as construct new advanced nuclear.
In the last month, South Korea reversed their nuclear phase-out plans, Japan voted to restart nuclear reactor units sitting idle since 2011, Romania announced plans to site the first small modular reactor in Europe, and here at home, the Biden administration took steps to save the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in California.

The federal government is at long last putting nuclear on the same footing as renewable sources … It’s an all-of-the-above approach, and it always will be.
— Constellation Energy President and CEO Joe Dominguez

Coal-to-Nuclear’s Power to Revive Communities

The game-changing potential of small modular reactors cannot be overstated, and the NEA audience heard from several advanced reactor companies over the course of the conference. In addition to making carbon-free energy more accessible to all, nuclear energy has the unique ability to breathe life into coal communities that otherwise may be left behind by the clean energy transition.
TerraPower is taking the lead on this initiative. Their Natrium advanced reactor project will be located at a retiring coal plant in Wyoming, and several communities competed for the opportunity to host the state’s first advanced reactor.
“Wyoming is a great place to develop an energy project—this project is real. We have 800 engineers working on Natrium design today.” - Chris Levesque, President and CEO, @TerraPower on the Natrium Reactor#NuclearPowersUS#NEA2022
— Nuclear Energy Inst. (@NEI) June 21, 2022
The coal-to-nuclear transition is just one example of the innovation happening in
the nuclear industry. Oklo Director of Government Affairs Jackie Siebens talked about the need to rethink the business of nuclear energy, highlighting power purchase agreements (PPAs) as a primary example. Traditionally used by renewable energy systems, PPAs would allow developers to sell low-cost electricity—instead of a reactor—directly to customers.

electricity—instead of a reactor—directly to customers.

This is a real paradigm shift, a game change as an industry … to be able to say to communities that we’re offering the clean energy and electricity that they’re looking for and that’s it.
— Oklo’s Jackie Siebens

Nuclear reactors have the power to decarbonize more than just the electric grid. From life-saving medical technologies to high-process heat for clean hydrogen, the nuclear industry is perfectly positioned to decarbonize whole economies and provide crucial products in the process.
NEA made one thing clear: “Any way you slice and dice it, it comes back to nuclear being a large part of the solution,” NEI President and CEO Maria Korsnick told the Associated Press ahead of the conference.