Nuclear Power Technology With and Without Policies to Limit Fossil Fuel CO2 Emissions

The 21st century will see dramatic changes in the global energy system. The precise nature of those changes is impossible to see clearly. Energy supply technologies may become more diverse as the century progresses. That diversity will be driven by both energy supply challenges and by policies such as those associated with climate change. Technology deployment will depend on the outcome of developments in both economic and non-economic dimensions. This paper will explore the economic dimension of the potential nuclear power technology deployment in a future with and without policies to limit fossil fuel CO2 emissions. The analysis is predicated on the presumption that issues associated with safety, health, waste, and weapons are successfully addressed. The potential role of nuclear power will be examined against a background in which other technologies compete for markets.