NEA Specialist Workshop on Advanced Measurement Method and Instrumentation for Enhancing Severe Accident Management in a Nuclear Power Plant: Summary Report

The NEA Specialist Workshop on Advanced Measurement Method and Instrumentation for Enhancing Severe Accident Management in a Nuclear Power Plant addressing Emergency, Stabilisation and Long-term Recovery Phases (SAMMI-2020) was held online from 7 to 9 December 2020 and hosted by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). Considering lessons learnt from severe accidents (SAs) that have occurred in commercial nuclear power plants, this workshop aimed to gather and summarise advanced measurement methods and instrumentation dedicated to severe accident management (SAM) at nuclear power plants, along with revised SA guidance based on instrumentation survivability insights in order to prevent, mitigate and recover …

Steel Decarbonization Policy Levers

The steel sector, the most emissions-intensive heavy industry, is responsible for about 1 percent of US emissions and about 7 percent of global emissions. It is a key input to the modern economy, and the next decade will be a critical period for the evolution of US primary steel production capabilities. Global overcapacity concerns, new international trade benchmarks, and modern production advances will influence the transition strategy for the sector, affecting US-based workers and communities.

The United States steel industry faces a major fork in the road: lock in legacy, dirtier coal-based production methods, or reinvest in modern production assets. …

Energy Subsidy Reform in Action: Political Economy Analysis and Communications for Energy Subsidy Reform

This report takes stock of political economy analysis (PEA) and communications in the context of country-specific technical assistance activities supporting energy subsidy reforms that benefited from financial and technical support from ESMAP. Initiated as part of a retrospective assessment of technical assistance activities that ESMAP’s Energy Subsidy Reform Facility (ESRF) has supported since its establishment, this report reviews designs and implementation approaches of World Bank–executed technical assistance activities.

The assessment is based on a qualitative review of key outputs of select PEA and communications support activities carried out in the context of country grants. The report documents different approaches, assesses …

Tripling Renewable Power by 2030: The Role of the G7 in Turning Targets into Action

The 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in the United Arab Emirates called upon countries to achieve a tripling of installed renewable power generation capacity by 2030 in order to keep the world on a pathway compatible with the 1.5°C climate goal.

The G7 will play an important role in delivering on this global goal, both directly through the expansion of renewable power capacity within its members, and indirectly by leading action to address deployment and integration barriers, and supporting emerging and developing economies (EMDEs) in delivering their contributions to the …

Assessing Total Cost of Driving Competitiveness of Zero-Emission Trucks

Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles are 21% of US transportation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and a major source of air pollution. We explore how the total cost of driving (TCD) of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), including battery electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (EVs and FCEVs), could evolve under alternative scenarios. With continued improvements in vehicles and fuels, ZEVs can rapidly become viable, potentially reaching TCD parity or better compared to diesel vehicles by 2035 for all market segments. For heavy long haul trucks, EVs become competitive on a TCD basis at charging costs below $0.18/kWh, while FCEVs become competitive …

Tackling America’s Electricity Challenges

The electrical grid is the largest and most complex machine humankind has ever built. It spans continents and oceans, producing, transforming, transmitting, and consuming electricity instantaneously. But as impressive as our current system is, it is not prepared for the challenges of the future. Hitting the US’ 2050 net-zero commitment requires the rapid electrification of our economy.
This approach to decarbonization—known as “electrify everything”—calls for increasing the use of electricity in traditionally fossil fuel-dependent sectors like transportation and heavy industry. But electrifying these sectors will only help reduce greenhouse gas emissions if that electricity itself is generated by clean sources …

Battery Storage for Fossil-Fueled Peaker Plant Replacement: A Maine Case Study

Across the country, more than a thousand fossil fuel burning peaker power plants sit idle, waiting to be called upon by electricity grid operators. These plants are designed to fire up quickly in response to regional demand spikes. While this serves a critical need, fossil-fueled peaker plants are highly polluting and expensive, and are disproportionately sited in low-income communities, communities of color, and areas already overburdened by pollution.

This analysis, conducted by Strategen for the Clean Energy States Alliance, demonstrates that batteries can cost effectively replace aging fossil-fueled peakers. The analysis is focused on Maine, where the Governor’s Energy Office …

Battery Storage for Fossil-Fueled Peaker Plant Replacement: A Maine Case Study

Across the country, more than a thousand fossil fuel burning peaker power plants sit idle, waiting to be called upon by electricity grid operators. These plants are designed to fire up quickly in response to regional demand spikes. While this serves a critical need, fossil-fueled peaker plants are highly polluting and expensive, and are disproportionately sited in low-income communities, communities of color, and areas already overburdened by pollution.

This analysis, conducted by Strategen for the Clean Energy States Alliance, demonstrates that batteries can cost effectively replace aging fossil-fueled peakers. The analysis is focused on Maine, where the Governor’s Energy Office …

Unlocking Low-Cost Lending for Electric Two- and Three-Wheelers

The global shift to electric two- and three-wheelers is vital for environmental and equity reasons. These vehicles play a crucial role in transporting both people and goods worldwide.

However, despite growing interest in electric vehicles (EVs), their adoption rate must accelerate to meet air quality and climate goals. A significant barrier to this is the steep financing costs compared to traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Currently, interest rates for electric two- and three-wheelers are twice as high as ICE equivalents, undermining the economic argument for transitioning to EVs. High EV perceived and real risks largely drive high-interest payments. When …

Defining “Adequately Demonstrated”- EPA’s Long History of Forward-Looking Regulations Under Section 111 of the Clean Air Act

In May 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new limits for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from certain fossil-fuel-fired power plants under Section 111 of the Clean Air Act. Section 111 requires EPA to set limits reflecting the emission reductions achievable by applying what the agency determines to be the “best system of emission reduction” (BSER) that “has been adequately demonstrated,” and that meets certain other statutory factors. For existing coal-fired power plants scheduled to retire in 2040 or later, and new baseload gas-fired power plants, EPA proposed that the BSER include carbon capture and storage (CCS), a set of …