Analyses Recommending an Expanded Role for Nuclear Energy
Environmental Protection Agency, “EPA Analysis of the American Power Act of 2010 (Kerry/Lieberman),” June 2010: The core policy scenario for reducing greenhouse gas emissions would re-quire more than doubling total nuclear capacity by 2050. If all existing U.S. operating reactors retire at 60 years, the U.S. will need to build another 253 gigawatts of nuclear capacity (approximately 181 new reactors).
Environmental Protection Agency, “EPA Analysis of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454),” June 2009: The core policy scenario for reducing greenhouse gas emissions would require a 150 percent increase in nuclear power generation, or roughly 180 new reactors, by 2050.
Joint Statement of the Academies of Science for the G8+5 Countries, “Climate Change Adaptation and the Transition to a Low Carbon Economy,” 2008: The statement recommends accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy by producing more energy from low-carbon sources such as nuclear power.
Electric Power Research Institute, “Prism/MERGE Analyses: 2009 Update”: Full portfolio approach to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 41 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 includes 45 new nuclear reactors.
U.S. Energy Information Administration, “Energy Market and Economic Impacts of H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009,” August 2009: The basic scenario projects that the United States would need 96 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity, almost 70 new reactors, by 2030.
OECD/International Energy Agency, “World Energy Outlook 2009,” OECD/IEA, 2009: Stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide at 450 parts per million would require nearly doubling global nuclear energy capacity by 2030.
Business Roundtable, “The Balancing Act: Climate Change, Energy Security and the U.S. Economy,” 2009: “As the only existing, proven and scalable low-carbon baseload generation technology, nuclear power will be critical to managing the impending turnover in baseload capacity in a sustainable manner.”