The United States plans to quadruple its nuclear power capacity by 2050, from the current 97 GW to 400 GW. President Donald Trump signed an executive order setting this ambitious target as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the country’s energy independence and competitiveness.
According to an analysis by the Polish Economic Institute, increasing nuclear capacity to 400 GW would raise the share of nuclear power in the U.S. energy mix to 48% by 2050, compared to just 12% in a scenario without expansion. The same analysis estimates that achieving this goal would require additional investments of between 69 billion and 99 billion USD annually.
Aging fleet and new builds
The average age of an American nuclear reactor is 45 years – four years older than French reactors and 33 years older than Chinese ones. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is reviewing applications to extend the operating licenses of existing plants to up to 80 years under the Subsequent License Renewal program. So far, 25 reactors have received such approval, and two more applications are pending.
To build new capacity, the U.S. Department of Energy has granted conditional loan guarantees worth 17.5 billion USD to Westinghouse and a group of American energy companies. The funds are intended for the purchase of long-lead components for ten AP1000 reactors to be built at five sites. This could accelerate project completion by two to three years.
The cost of the nuclear push
– Increasing nuclear power capacity to 400 GW would raise the share of nuclear energy in the U.S. energy mix to 48% by 2050, compared to 12% in a scenario without expansion. According to estimates by the consulting firm Keylogic, this would require additional investments ranging from 69 billion to 99 billion USD annually – stated the analysis by the Polish Economic Institute.
The United States celebrated its 250th anniversary with a strong and competitive economy, but faces global challenges in technological development and access to affordable energy. The executive order signed by President Trump aims to address these issues by making nuclear energy a cornerstone of future U.S. energy policy.
Źródło: wnp.pl, Fot. Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock
