Thread by @nuclearny

With the goal to catalyze more rapid and coordinated action across the full technology value chain, @ENERGY's #NuclearLiftoff establishes a common fact-base for the private sector for critical clean energy technologies. #BuildNuclearNow 1/x liftoff.energy.gov/wp-content/upl…

Regardless of level of #renewables deployment, to achieve net-zero in the U.S. by 2050 requires ~550–770 GW of additional clean, firm capacity. Modeling results indicate demand for 200+ GW of new nuclear capacity. #AdvancedNuclear 2/x

Multiple system-level decarbonization modeling exercises over the last 2 years have concluded that, especially with estimates for #renewables buildout that account for limitations from #transmission expansion and #LandUse, significant new #nuclear power would be required by 2050.

Six features contribute to #AdvancedNuclear power’s differentiated value proposition for a #decarbonized grid: clean, firm, land-sparing, transmission-sparing, locally beneficial, economy-wide decarbonization. Industry, society & government can make nuclear cheap for #liftoff.

Needs:
Committed orderbook: for 5–10 deployments of at least one reactor design by 2025 (Gen III+ SMR / Gen IV)
Project delivery: ± 20% on-& and on-budget for sustained demand and momentum.
Industrialization: workforce, supply chain, and licensing, need to scale in a timely way

Decarbonizing the last ~20% of the grid would be very difficult and expensive without firm power, on-demand energy supply during all seasons. Nuclear is to be #CostCompetitive with other sources of clean, firm power (renewables+long duration energy storage, gas+carbon capture).

#Nuclear power provides electricity with low #LandUse requirements. Alternately, to meet 2050 decarbonization targets using unconstrained renewables, an area of 600,000 sq-km would be required to supply power for the U.S. (roughly the size of New Mexico and Arizona, combined!)

#Nuclear power has significant regional economic benefits and can aid in an equitable transition to a net-zero grid. Nuclear power plants have ~300% of
the jobs per GW vs. #wind power, with ~50% higher worker pay than that in the wind or #solar sectors. doi.org/10.5089/978151…

An effective energy transition is one that preserves the viability & livelihood of the communities impacted by the shift to clean energy sources. #Coal-to-#nuclear transitions present critical opportunities to ensure an equitable transition to a decarbonized grid #JustTransition

Nuclear power has a wide variety of use cases that enable grid flexibility and decarbonization beyond the grid. Some new advanced nuclear technologies have the potential to #decarbonize heavy #industries such as chemical plants and refineries and use waste heat for #desalination.

Estimated Levelized Cost of Energy (#LCOE) from First Of A Kind (#FOAK) to Nth Of A Kind (#NOAK) nuclear plants ranges, assuming 60-year plant lifetime, including the 30% Investment Tax Credit from the Inflation Reduction Act (#IRA2022).

The #IRA2022 provides a powerful boost to #nuclear power economics, but may not be sufficient to accelerate commitments for deployment at scale.