Reactor Costs and Decarbonization Efforts

New nuclear reactors could be a valuable tool for reducing carbon emissions in the United States, but high costs and cost overruns - in both recent years and past decades - loom over the sector's future.
The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA hosted a session featuring opening remarks by Jeff Lyash, CEO of Tennessee Valley Authority. Mr. Lyash shared his insights on the potential deployment of small modular reactors and their integration into decarbonization strategies. Following his remarks, a panel of experts delved into various topics, including the role of nuclear energy in decarbonization modeling, past cost overruns experienced in US reactor projects (including the AP1000 endeavors), and prospective strategies to achieve more cost-effective outcomes in the future.
Moderator:
- Matt Bowen, Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA
Speakers:
- Shannon Bragg-Sitton, Director, Integrated Energy and Storage Systems, Idaho National Laboratory
- Jacopo Buongiorno, Director, Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Karl Hausker, Senior Fellow, World Resources Institute
- Julie Kozeracki, Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office