Texas Catalyst for Nuclear
Reflections from the Texas Nuclear Summit
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Texas' potential to spark demand for new US nuclear construction and catalyze a renaissance in the industry.ย
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US Nuclear assets have struggled in spite of its attributes as the only large, low carbon, dispatchable, long duration generation technology that has been deployed at scale. What I heard and saw at this week's Texas Nuclear Summit (hosted by the Texas Nuclear Alliance) suggests we are close to "a catalyst moment" that could restart growth in the industry.ย
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โขย ย Big tech is driving change, signing agreements to restart facilities like Three Mile Island and investing in SMR technology. Yet, a wave of new nuclear construction remains on the horizon.
โขย ย Barriers such as financing, proper valuation of nuclear's environmental and reliability benefits, labor shortages, and cost uncertainties hinder progress.
โขย ย Texas is well-positioned for new nuclear development, fueled by acute load demand (led by data centers), the availability of natural gas as a bridge technology, and strong political interest in supporting the sector.
โขย ย The biggest challenge appears to be FOAK (โFirst of a kindโ) risk, or the "first in a long time", hurdle. Overcoming this with an effective mechanism could be the catalyst to reignite the industry.
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