Nuclear power could provide large amounts of low-carbon electricity that would help us deeply decarbonize the global energy system. However, it often faces societal challenges that dampen its deployment prospects. What are these challenges and how do we resolve them in the next generation of reactors?
As part of his work on the U.S. National Academies’ Committee on Laying the Foundation for New and Advanced Reactors in the United States, Ahmed Abdulla helped organize a workshop to answer these questions, the proceedings of which have now been published. Its results could be used by engineers, utilities, investors, and policy makers to ensure that best practices are followed in community engagement during the research, siting, operational, and decommissioning phases of a nuclear power plant.