The key to unlocking a carbon-free future

NUCLEAR POWER

If You Care About Carbon, You Care About Nuclear

A global health pandemic has claimed the attention of most of our planet’s inhabitants over the past year in a way that few crises ever have – and rightfully so. After the last vaccine is finally given and daily life slowly begins to return to normal, we’ll still be confronting a longer standing and perhaps even more vexing challenge that demands solutions. That challenge is a changing global climate.

The key to unlocking a carbon-free future

Studies from global experts highlight a stark reality. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group recently concluded that human activity and greenhouse emissions are – with 95 percent certainty – the dominant catalyst of present activity affecting climate. Unless we change course, the problem will become even more profound. By the end of this decade alone, the world population is expected to grow 25 percent and the demand for electricity is expected to double. Fortunately, we already have at our disposal many of the tools we’ll need to create a carbon-free and energy-abundant tomorrow.

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Clean, Carbon-Free and Infinitely Renewable

In addition to acknowledging the impact of human activity and greenhouse emissions on the changing global climate, the IPPC estimates that by 2050, 80 percent of the world’s electricity will need to be generated using low-carbon technologies. A clear-eyed assessment of today’s global energy portfolio shows that, to achieve that goal, the next 30 years will demand drastic change. Right now, technologies that require the incineration of carbon-producing fossil fuels account for 70 percent of today’s energy production. While the change will need to be drastic, it’s not impossible. Already, the remaining 30 percent of the world’s electricity is fueled by low- or no-carbon energy sources such as wind, nuclear, solar and hydropower — and that number is on the rise.

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A Safe, Proven, 
Reliable Solution

A Safe, Proven, Reliable Solution

While wind and solar power are both vital to a  world of carbon-free energy, nuclear power may be the most critical component for ensuring its reliable delivery. No matter where on the planet a person lives, one fact is undeniable: the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow.

That makes nuclear power essential. In addition to being the world’s largest source of carbon-free energy, it’s also the most dependable. Operating at full power more than 93 percent of the time, nuclear energy plants can reliably fill the renewable energy void that intermittent sources such as wind and solar power cannot.

And, while the reliability of nuclear power is impressive, its record for health and safety compared to other forms of energy production may be even better. A study by the European Union and the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, published in 2016, sought to gauge the safety of various energy production technologies – including coal, natural gas, wind and nuclear – by measuring decades of life lost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy produced. Factoring in immediate deaths from accidents and projected deaths from exposure to pollutants, the report found that nuclear power was safer by wide margins than coal and natural gas, and by slight margins over wind power.

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A Cleaner, Better Future

At Westinghouse, we understand the burden of creating a carbon-free future is more than any one company, industry or technology can bear. We have and will continue to invest heavily in new technologies that enhance the efficiency and economy of nuclear power, including the groundbreaking AP1000® nuclear plant and our new eVinci™ micro reactor technology. Nevertheless, we view our company and our industry as one part of a total integrated solution – along with wind and solar power – that is uniquely equipped to meet thechallenges of a changing global climate.

As global energy production becomes decentralized, decarbonized and digitized, we invite you to learn more about the role nuclear power – and our team at Westinghouse – intend to play in meeting the world’s growing energy needs.