The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) wrapped up last Friday, but headlines continue to highlight nuclear energy as central to tackling the climate crisis.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report in August stating that global warming is happening quicker than previously thought, making COP more important than ever.
Decarbonization is critical, and nuclear, which provides more than a quarter of the world’s clean power, is central to the clean energy transition. The bipartisan momentum around nuclear’s role in combatting climate change was evident at COP. Nuclear energy will play an important role in decarbonizing the energy sector in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, France and China, as well as countries transitioning away from coal like Romania and developing countries such as Ghana.
In fact, nuclear and wind provided over 76 percent of Glasgow’s energy during the conference—a testament to its real-life application in the fight for net zero. Nuclear power provided around 70% of the electricity when wind was down, emphasizing the importance of clean, reliable energy to compliment intermittent renewable energy sources.
Source: www.carbonintensity.org.uk
Throughout the two weeks, many voices chimed in on the benefits of nuclear, such as International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol: "Nuclear power generation needs to double if we are to reach our energy and climate goals.”
This year’s conference in Glasgow solidified that nuclear holds an integral and unmistakable role in the world’s decarbonization goals.
U.S. Leadership in Global Initiatives
It is in the spirit of cooperation that nations at COP sought to find ways they can work together to reduce emissions globally. Commitments to expand nuclear power both at home and abroad was an important outcome of this year’s conference.
On November 2, the UN launched the 24/7 Carbon Free Energy Compact at COP26. NEI, along with 39 other companies, policymakers, investors, and organizations have signed on as supporters of the compact, which will advance around-the-clock carbon-free energy as we seek to decarbonize electricity generation globally. As a firm source of carbon-free electricity, nuclear energy will play an important role.
NuScale, an American small modular reactor (SMR) developer, and Nuclearelectrica, a Romanian nuclear energy producer, announced an agreement to initiate the deployment of the first SMR in Europe.
“This historic announcement is a critical step forward in our fight against the global climate crisis. Through this partnership, nuclear energy will continue to play a vital role in our carbon-free future, while positioning the United States as a leader in advanced nuclear technology developments,” said Maria Korsnick, president and chief executive officer of the Nuclear Energy Institute.
In an interview at the conference, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm emphasized the desire to build new nuclear reactors in the United States.
“We are very bullish on these advanced nuclear reactors,” she said. “We have, in fact, invested a lot of money in the research and development of those.”
The U.S. also announced a $25 million pledge in support of expanding access to clean nuclear energy—the “Nuclear Futures Package.” The funding will advance modern nuclear power generation and innovative new designs, as well as establish partnerships with other countries to support progress on nuclear energy goals abroad and the world’s climate targets.
NEI at COP
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“The good-paying jobs nuclear supports can revitalize local economies abandoned by a dying fossil fuel industry,” she said. “And it can improve public health, bringing reliable electricity without the localized air pollution.”
She participated in other panels focused on climate finance, the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) aspects of nuclear energy, and investments in carbon-free technologies.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) lead by Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi organized several events at COP26, encouraging conversations about nuclear power and its vast applications.
“To achieve net zero we need more nuclear power. That’s the scientific consensus from the IPCC and other leading climate experts. Governments are starting to converge around this consensus, but we must act faster,” said Grossi.
The climate crisis is a global problem that requires a global solution. It is important for the United States to honor its decarbonization commitments at home, while also leading technological advancements abroad. We need an all hands-on deck approach to the carbon-free energy mix to make change—and discussions at COP26 demonstrated that while we still have a long way to go to address the climate crisis, nuclear has proven it will be a crucial part of the solution.
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