The competitiveness of nuclear power plants depends largely on their capital costs that represent some 60 per cent of their total generation costs. Reviewing and analysing ways and means to reduce capital costs of nuclear power plants are essential to enhance the economic viability of the nuclear option. The report is based upon cost information and data provided by experts from NEA Member countries. It investigates the efficiency of alternative methods for reducing capital costs of nuclear units. It will provide stakeholders from the industry and governmental agencies with relevant elements in support of policy making.

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Analyzes the factors that determine the cost of electricity from new power plants. These factors -- including construction costs, fuel expense, environ. regulations, and financing costs -- can all be affected by government, energy, environmental, and economic policies. Contents: (1) Intro. and Org.; (2) Types of Generating Technologies: Electricity Demand and Power Plant Choice and Operation; Utility Scale Generating Technologies; (3) Factors that Drive Power Plant Costs; (4) Fuel Costs. Appendixes: Power Generation Technology Process Diagrams and Images; Estimates of Power Plant Overnight Costs; Estimates of Technology Costs and Efficiency with Carbon Capture; Financial and Operating Assumptions. Charts and tables.

Electricity, supplied reliably and affordably, is foundational to the U.S. economy and is utterly indispensable to modern society. However, emissions resulting from many forms of electricity generation create environmental risks that could have significant negative economic, security, and human health consequences. Large-scale installation of cleaner power generation has been generally hampered because greener technologies are more expensive than the technologies that currently produce most of our power. Rather than trade affordability and reliability for low emissions, is there a way to balance all three? The Power of Change: Innovation for Development and Deployment of Increasingly Clean Energy Technologies considers how to speed up innovations that would dramatically improve the performance and lower the cost of currently available technologies while also developing new advanced cleaner energy technologies. According to this report, there is an opportunity for the United States to continue to lead in the pursuit of increasingly clean, more efficient electricity through innovation in advanced technologies. The Power of Change: Innovation for Development and Deployment of Increasingly Clean Energy Technologies makes the case that America's advantagesâ€"world-class universities and national laboratories, a vibrant private sector, and innovative states, cities, and regions that are free to experiment with a variety of public policy approachesâ€"position the United States to create and lead a new clean energy revolution. This study focuses on five paths to accelerate the market adoption of increasing clean energy and efficiency technologies: (1) expanding the portfolio of cleaner energy technology options; (2) leveraging the advantages of energy efficiency; (3) facilitating the development of increasing clean technologies, including renewables, nuclear, and cleaner fossil; (4) improving the existing technologies, systems, and infrastructure; and (5) leveling the playing field for cleaner energy technologies. The Power of Change: Innovation for Development and Deployment of Increasingly Clean Energy Technologies is a call for leadership to transform the United States energy sector in order to both mitigate the risks of greenhouse gas and other pollutants and to spur future economic growth. This study's focus on science, technology, and economic policy makes it a valuable resource to guide support that produces innovation to meet energy challenges now and for the future.

This publication emphasizes how various risks -- including those typically considered to be 'engineering risks' -- will give rise to such financial risks.

While refurbishments for the long-term operation of nuclear power plants and for the lifetime extension of such plants have been widely pursued in recent years, the number of plants to be decommissioned is nonetheless expected to increase in future, particularly in the United States and Europe. It is thus important to understand the costs of decommissioning so as to develop coherent and cost-effective strategies, realistic cost estimates based on decommissioning plans from the outset of operations and mechanisms to ensure that future decommissioning expenses can be adequately covered. This study presents the results of an NEA review of the costs of decommissioning nuclear power plants and of overall funding practices adopted across NEA member countries. The study is based on the results of this NEA questionnaire, on actual decommissioning costs or estimates, and on plans for the establishment and management of decommissioning funds. Case studies are included to provide insight into decommissioning practices in a number of countries.

This publication assists existing and potential stakeholders in the definition of competitive approaches regarding design and deployment of small and medium sized reactors (SMR). It provides a framework for assessment of the investment attractiveness of nuclear power plant projects that adopts small reactor to be deployed in multi-modules and incorporate modularization construction technology. Main chapters detail past experience and future plans in several IAEA Member States and present the suite of models to assist designers and guide potential users on the economic performance and investment attractiveness of SMRs. A framework for the consolidated application of such models is also suggested. The annexes, contributed by Member States, provide in depth descriptions of different assessment models and give examples of their application.