Nuclear energy is back on the table for discussion. In his recent book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, Bill Gates argues for the need for nuclear technology to generate carbon-free electricity and complement solar, wind, and small-to-medium hydroelectric facilities. According to Gates, new technologies are being developed that make nuclear energy safer and require less investment. Gates' proposal comes at a time when nuclear energy is at a crossroads. According to the International Energy Agency, in 2019, 5.5 GW of nuclear capacity was connected and 9.4 GW was retired, leaving global installed capacity at 443 GW. According to the IEA, at the current rate of growth, nuclear power capacity will be 445 GW in 2040, below the 601 GW estimated in its Sustainable Development Scenario (SDS) to meet the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. Gates' endorsement of nuclear energy, however, is not shared by some sectors of the scientific community, such as the team led by Mark Jacobson at Stanford University, who have calculated how every country in the world can generate 80% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 (https://web.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/CountriesWWS.pdf).

Prospects for installing nuclear power generation capacity

(GW)

Source: EIA