U.S. Utility Survey Suggests Industry Mulling Additions of 90 GW of New Nuclear
A Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) survey suggests U.S. utility members expect to add up to 90 GW of new nuclear generation by the 2050s, including more than 300 new small modular reactors (SMRs) in the U.S. over the next 25 years.
The nuclear industry group’s survey, unveiled on July 29, sought to gather input from chief nuclear officers at 19 utility members that already have nuclear as part of their energy generation mix on the role new nuclear could play to reach decarbonization goals.
The results indicate significant demand for new nuclear, the trade group told POWER. Planning for 300 SMRs translates to about 731.3 TWh of power. However, while that figure would effectively double U.S. nuclear energy output today, it may even be a “conservative estimate,” it noted. The 19 NEI member utilities surveyed represent less than half of the total electricity generation in the U.S., and the survey does not include utilities with no nuclear generation, like Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) and PacifiCorp, which have already announced plans to build new nuclear, NEI said.…
