Part 1 of 2 Parts
      Many analysts believe that nuclear energy is at an inflection point. Historically, early enthusiasm about its potential was undercut by a series of devastating and dangerous accidents. These three nuclear disasters took place at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania in 1979; Chornobyl in Ukraine in 1986; and Fukushima Daiichi in Japan in 2011.
     Currently, because of new technology and the increasing urgent need to combat climate change, nuclear energy is getting a second chance to become a prominent part of the global energy grid. The reason for this is because nuclear energy production does not create any of the dangerous greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change during normal operation. However, construction, fuel mining, refining and transportation do emit greenhouse gases.
     In a panel discussion at the United Nations last Tuesday, a collection of nuclear energy leaders from around the world met to discuss the scope of that renaissance and why it is so critical that the global nuclear industry work together to ensure excellent safety measures be adopted worldwide.
     A great concern contra to the enthusiasm is the certainty that a nuclear accident anywhere has the potential to upset the most major momentum has had in decades.
     Jennifer M. Granholm said that nuclear energy makes up twenty percent of the U.S.’ baseload power and fifty percent of its low carbon emissions power. She said, “And that’s just from the fleet that we have today without the other additions that we are hoping to see.”
     Future nuclear reactors and plants will almost certainly employ different technology from the current standard. This is because both U.S. and private companies are funding research into more efficient reactors that are cheaper to build and generate less waste. With regard for small modular reactors (SMR), this has been recently challenged by a new report that suggests that SMRs will generate at least three times the waste of a conventional nuclear power reactor. Granholm mentioned the advanced nuclear reactor that TerraPower is installing in a former coal town in Wyoming.
     Demand for advanced nuclear reactors will be worth about one trillion dollars globally according to an estimate from the Department of Ecology (DoE). That estimate includes the jobs needed to build those reactors and all the associated supply chains that will need to ramp up to support the industry according to Granholm. She added that the “Bottom line is spreading advanced nuclear energy is a priority for us. Of course, these technologies all have to begin and end with nuclear safety and security.”
     Rafael Grossi is the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He said that this major change in sentiment surrounding nuclear energy has happened quite quickly. He went on to say that until a few years ago, nuclear power representatives would not be welcome at the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) where global leaders had opportunity to discuss climate change. “The IAEA has moved quite fast from almost an intruder into a very welcomed participant in this dialogue where nuclear has a place,” according to Grossi.
     The next COP conference will be held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in November, followed by one at Dubai Expo City in the United Arab Emirates. The IAEA is planning on being included in both of these conferences. Grossi said, “The mere fact that we are talking at COPs with nuclear in Egypt, and in the Gulf, in and by itself is telling you a lot of what is happening and how we are changing and the possibilities that we have and that could have been almost unforeseeable just a few years ago.”
     If nuclear power is to be included in these conferences and climate change conversation, supporters stress that the entire international community has to work together to adhere to strict safety and nonproliferation standards.
Please read Part 2