Nuclear energy policy

{{Short description|none}}

{{Main|Nuclear power}}

File:Atom-Moratorium.svg in Japan.{{cite web |url=http://www.iaea.org/programmes/a2/ |title=Power Reactor Information System |author=IAEA |year=2011 }}]]

Nuclear energy policy is a national and international policy concerning some or all aspects of nuclear energy and the nuclear fuel cycle, such as uranium mining, ore concentration, conversion, enrichment for nuclear fuel, generating electricity by nuclear power, storing and reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, and disposal of radioactive waste. Nuclear energy policies often include the regulation of energy use and standards relating to the nuclear fuel cycle. Other measures include efficiency standards, safety regulations, emission standards, fiscal policies, and legislation on energy trading, transport of nuclear waste and contaminated materials, and their storage. Governments might subsidize nuclear energy and arrange international treaties and trade agreements about the import and export of nuclear technology, electricity, nuclear waste, and uranium.

Since about 2001 the term nuclear renaissance has been used to refer to a possible nuclear power industry revival, but nuclear electricity generation in 2012 was at its lowest level since 1999.{{cite web| title= Nuclear power down in 2012|url=https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN_Nuclear_power_down_in_2012_2006131.html#:~:text=Nuclear%20power%20down%20in%202012&text=With%20a%20total%20of%2048,was%20the%20lowest%20since%201999.}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf104.html|title=The Nuclear Renaissance (by the World Nuclear Association)}} Since then it had increased back to 2,653 TWh in 2021, a level last seen in 2006. The share of nuclear power in electricity production however is at a historic low and now below 10% down from a maximum of 17.5% in 1996.url=https://www.worldnuclearreport.org/IMG/pdf/wnisr2022-v3-lr.pdf

Following the March 2011 Fukushima I nuclear accidents, China, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, Malaysia, Thailand, United Kingdom, and the Philippines are reviewing their nuclear power programs. Indonesia and Vietnam still plan to build nuclear power plants.{{cite web |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/is-this-the-end-of-the-nuclear-revival-20110318-1c0i9.html |title=Is this the end of the nuclear revival? |author=Jo Chandler |date=March 19, 2011 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |author-link=Jo Chandler }}{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/business/global/18atomic.html?partner=rss&emc=rss |title=Indonesia to Continue Plans for Nuclear Power |author=Aubrey Belford |date=March 17, 2011 |work=New York Times }}[https://archive.today/20120712202640/http://piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/17/israel-prime-minister-netanyahu-japan-situation-has-caused-me-to-reconsider-nuclear-power/ Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu: Japan situation has "caused me to reconsider" nuclear power] Piers Morgan on CNN, published 2011-03-17, accessed 2011-03-17[https://web.archive.org/web/20110318184804/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-03/18/c_13784578.htm Israeli PM cancels plan to build nuclear plant] xinhuanet.com, published 2011-03-18, accessed 2011-03-17 Thirty-one countries operate nuclear power stations, and there are a considerable number of new reactors being built in China, South Korea, India, and Russia.Michael Dittmar. [https://www.smh.com.au/business/taking-stock-of-nuclear-renaissance-that-never-was-20100817-128ky.html Taking stock of nuclear renaissance that never was] Sydney Morning Herald, August 18, 2010. As of June 2011, countries such as Australia, Austria, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Israel, Malaysia, and Norway have no nuclear power stations and remain opposed to nuclear power.{{cite news |url=http://www.economist.com/node/18441163 |title=Nuclear power: When the steam clears |date=March 24, 2011 |newspaper=The Economist }}{{cite web |url=http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/47834 |title=Germany: Nuclear power to be phased out by 2022 |author=Duroyan Fertl |date=June 5, 2011 |work=Green Left }}

Since nuclear energy and nuclear weapons technologies are closely related, military aspirations can act as a factor in energy policy decisions. The fear of nuclear proliferation influences some international nuclear energy policies.

The global picture

File:Nuclear power plant construction.jpg.]]

{{See also|Nuclear power by country}}

After 1986's Chernobyl disaster, public fear of nuclear power led to a virtual halt in reactor construction, and several countries decided to phase out nuclear power altogether.[https://archive.today/20130201052835/http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS101123+06-May-2009+BW20090506 Research and Markets: International Perspectives on Energy Policy and the Role of Nuclear Power] Reuters, May 6, 2009. However, increasing energy demand was believed to require new sources of electric power, and rising fossil fuel prices coupled with concerns about greenhouse gas emissions (see Climate change mitigation) have sparked heightened interest in nuclear power and predictions of a nuclear renaissance.

In 2004, the largest producer of nuclear energy was the United States with 28% of worldwide capacity, followed by France (18%) and Japan (12%).{{cite journal | title = Survey of energy resources | publisher = World Energy Council | year = 2004 | url = http://www.worldenergy.org/documents/ser2004.pdf | access-date = 2007-07-13 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070925194158/http://www.worldenergy.org/documents/ser2004.pdf | archive-date = 2007-09-25 }} In 2007, 31 countries operated nuclear power plants.Mycle Schneider, Steve Thomas, Antony Froggatt, Doug Koplow (August 2009). [http://www.greens-efa.org/cms/topics/dokbin/206/206749.pdf The World Nuclear Industry Status Report] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625044818/http://www.greens-efa.org/cms/topics/dokbin/206/206749.pdf |date=2008-06-25 }}, German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Reactor Safety, p. 6. In September 2008 the IAEA projected nuclear power to remain at a 12.4% to 14.4% share of the world's electricity production through 2030.{{cite journal | title = Energy, Electricity and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period up to 2030 | publisher = International Atomic Energy Agency | url = http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/RDS1-28_web.pdf|date=September 2008 | access-date = 2008-09-08}}

In 2013, almost two years after Fukushima, according to the IAEA there are 390 operating nuclear generating units throughout the world, more than 10% less than before Fukushima, and exactly the same as in Chernobyl-year 1986.[http://www.worldnuclearreport.org/spip.php?article132 Historic Move: IAEA Shifts 47 Japanese Reactors Into “Long-Term Shutdown” Category], World Nuclear Industry Status Report, 16-1-2013 Asia is expected to be the primary growth market for nuclear energy in the foreseeable future, despite continued uncertainty in the energy outlooks for Japan, South Korea, and others in the region. As of 2014, 63% of all reactors under construction globally are in Asia.[http://nbr.org/research/activity.aspx?id=474 Multilateral Cooperation in Asia's Nuclear Sector], 2014 Pacific Energy Summit Working Paper, 8-6-14

Policy issues

{{See also|Energy policy}}

=Nuclear concerns=

{{Main|Nuclear power debate}}

Nuclear accidents and radioactive waste disposal are major concerns. Other concerns include nuclear proliferation, the high cost of nuclear power plants, and nuclear terrorism.Brian Martin. [http://www.bmartin.cc/pubs/07sa.html Opposing nuclear power: past and present], Social Alternatives, Vol. 26, No. 2, Second Quarter 2007, pp. 43-47.

=Energy security=

For some countries, nuclear power affords energy independence. In the words of the French, "We have no coal, we have no oil, we have no gas, we have no choice." Japan—similarly lacking in indigenous natural resources for power supply—relied on nuclear power for 1/3 of its energy mix prior to the Fukushima nuclear disaster; since March 2011, Japan has sought to offset the loss of nuclear power with increased reliance on imported liquefied natural gas, which has led to the country's first trade deficits in decades.http://www.nbr.org/research/activity.aspx?id=352 How Can Japan Compete in a Changing Global Market?, Clara Gillispie, The National Bureau of Asian Research, July 201 Therefore, the discussion of a future for nuclear energy is intertwined with a discussion of energy security and the use of energy mix, including renewable energy development.{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}}

Nuclear power has been relatively unaffected by embargoes, and uranium is mined in "reliable" countries, including Australia and Canada.{{cite news | publisher= Platts |url= http://www.platts.com/Nuclear/Resources/News%20Features/nukeinsight/ | title = Nuclear renaissance faces realities | access-date=2007-07-13 |url-access= subscription }}{{cite journal |publisher=Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Departement of Electrical Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering |author1=L. Meeus |author2=K. Purchala |author3=R. Belmans |url=http://www.esat.kuleuven.be/electa/publications/fulltexts/pub_1225.pdf |title=Is it reliable to depend on import? |access-date=2007-07-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520205240/http://www.esat.kuleuven.be/electa/publications/fulltexts/pub_1225.pdf |archive-date=2011-05-20 |url-status=dead }}

Many commentators have criticized Germany's Energiewende policy to shut down its world-class nuclear fleet after the Fukushima disaster and rely instead on renewable energy sources, which in the interim has made them heavily dependent on Russian gas.{{cite news | publisher= Globe and Mail |url= https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-angela-merkels-nuclear-folly-fuelled-putins-ambitions-in-ukraine/ |title= Angela Merkel's nuclear folly fuelled Putin's ambitions in Ukraine |year= 2022}} Responding to Russia's attempt to exploit this dependency by shutting off natural gas supplies, Germany is ramping up coal production,{{cite news | publisher = Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/germanys-uniper-bring-coal-fired-power-plant-heyden-4-back-onto-electricity-2022-08-22/ | title=Germany's Uniper to restart coal-fired power plant as Gazprom halts supply to Europe |year=2022}} while maintaining two nuclear plants in reserve.{{cite news | publisher = CNBC |url = https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/06/germany-to-keep-two-nuclear-plants-available-as-a-backup-burn-coal-.html | title = Germany to keep two nuclear plants available as a backup and burn coal as it faces an energy crisis brought on by war and climate change |year=2022}}

=Climate Change and the Energy Transition=

Eliminating fossil fuels is essential in solving the climate change crisis. Nuclear power has one of the lowest life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions.{{cite web|title=Integrated life-cycle assessment of electricity sources - Figure 37 |url= https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/LCA_3_FINAL%20March%202022.pdf |publisher=UNECE|page=50|year=2022}}{{cite web|title=IPCC Working Group III – Mitigation of Climate Change, Annex III: Technology - specific cost and performance parameters - Table A.III.2 (Emissions of selected electricity supply technologies (gCO 2eq/kWh))

|url= https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_annex-iii.pdf#page=7

|publisher=IPCC|access-date=14 December 2018|page=1335|year=2014}}

Historically, nuclear power has prevented 64 gigatonnes of {{CO2}}-equivalent greenhouse-gas emissions between 1971 and 2009.{{cite journal |doi=10.1021/es3051197 |pmid=23495839 |title=Prevented Mortality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Historical and Projected Nuclear Power |year=2013 |last1=Kharecha |first1=Pushker A. |last2=Hansen |first2=James E. |journal=Environmental Science & Technology |volume=47 |issue=9 |pages=4889–95 |bibcode=2013EnST...47.4889K |doi-access=free|hdl=2060/20140017100 |hdl-access=free }}

With a significant amount of renewable energy installed in the 21st century, it has been speculated that tensions between nuclear and renewable national energy development strategies might reduce their effectiveness in terms of climate change mitigation.{{cite journal |journal=Nature Energy |date=5 October 2020 |title=Differences in carbon emissions reduction between countries pursuing renewable electricity versus nuclear power |url=https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-020-00696-3 |first1=Benjamin K. |last1=Sovacool |first2=Patrick |last2=Schmid |first3=Andy |last3=Stirling |first4=Goetz |last4=Walter |first5=Gordon |last5=MacKerron|volume=5 |issue=11 |pages=928–935 |doi=10.1038/s41560-020-00696-3 |bibcode=2020NatEn...5..928S |s2cid=225107514 }}

However, newer studies have refuted this idea. Both nuclear and renewable energy have shown equally effective in the prevention of greenhouse-gas emissions.{{Cite journal |title=Reply to 'Differences in Carbon Emissions Reduction between Countries Pursuing Renewable Electricity Versus Nuclear Power,' by Sovacool Et Al. (2020) |journal=SSRN |last1=Fell |first1=Harrison |last2=Gilbert |first2=Alexander |last3=Jenkins |first3=Jesse |last4=Mildenberger |first4=Matto |date=2021-01-08 |publisher=Elsevier |doi=10.2139/ssrn.3762762|s2cid=234183759 }}{{Cite journal |title={{CO2}} emissions of nuclear power and renewable energies: a statistical analysis of European and global data |journal=The European Physical Journal Plus |last=Wagner |first=Friedrich |date=2021-05-20 |volume=136 |issue=5 |page=562 |doi=10.1140/epjp/s13360-021-01508-7 |bibcode=2021EPJP..136..562W |doi-access=free}} An effective climate-change mitigation strategy may include both nuclear and renewable energy sources.{{cite web |title=IPCC Fifth Assessment Report - WG3 Summary for Policymakers |url=https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_summary-for-policymakers.pdf |date=2013-03-31 |author=IPCC}} In 2018 the IPCC provided advice to policymakers giving four illustrative model pathways to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. In each of these pathways nuclear energy generation increased between 98% and 501% over 2010 levels by 2050.{{cite web|title= Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5°C Summary for Policymakers |url= https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/spm/ |year=2018}}

In 2021 the European Union Joint Research Centre issued the results of its study on whether nuclear power generation meets the criteria of its Green Taxonomy. The analyses did not reveal any science-based evidence that nuclear energy does more harm to human health or to the environment than other electricity production technologies already included in the EU Green Taxonomy as activities supporting climate change mitigation.{{cite web|title= Technical assessment of nuclear energy with respect to the 'do no significant harm' criteria of Regulation (EU) 2020/852 ('Taxonomy Regulation') |url=https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/business_economy_euro/banking_and_finance/documents/210329-jrc-report-nuclear-energy-assessment_en.pdf |year= 2021}} 50px Text was copied from this source, which is available under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License]. As a result of this assessment, the EU Parliament voted to include nuclear energy in its Green Taxonomy.{{cite news|url= https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/eu-parliament-vote-green-gas-nuclear-rules-2022-07-06/| title=EU parliament backs labelling gas and nuclear investments as green |year=2022}}

Moreover, nuclear energy has such a low carbon footprint that it could power carbon dioxide capture and transformation,{{Cite web|last=Kugelmass|first=Bret|author-link=Bret Kugelmass |title=Want to stop climate change? Embrace the nuclear option.|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/01/22/climate-change-solution-nuclear-energy-our-best-hope-column/2821183001/|access-date=2021-01-19|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US}} resulting in a carbon-negative process. Specifically, various organizations are working across the globe to create designs for small modular reactors, a type of nuclear fission reactor that is smaller than conventional reactors. Some of these companies include ARC Nuclear{{Cite web|title=Carbon Free Energy {{!}} ARC Clean Energy|url=https://www.arcenergy.co/|access-date=2021-01-19|website=www.arcenergy.co}} in Canada, CNEA in Denmark, Areva TA in France, Toshiba and JAERI in Japan, OKB Gidropress in Russia, and OPEN100{{Cite web|title=OPEN100 {{!}} Nuclear Energy|url=https://www.open-100.com/|access-date=2021-01-19|website=Open100|language=en}} and X-energy{{Cite web|title=X-energy {{!}} Advanced Nuclear Reactors (SMR) & TRISO Fuel|url=https://x-energy.com/|access-date=2021-01-19|website=X-energy|language=en-US}} in the United States.

Policies by territory

{{Main|Nuclear energy policy by country|Nuclear power by country}}

{{See also|List of nuclear reactors}}

See also

References

{{Reflist|2}}

Further reading