NICE Future Initiative Featured Publications

Publications either directly published by the NICE Future initiative or of high interest to the initiative’s audience are featured here. To receive email announcements of such publications—as well as announcements of our coming webinars—subscribe here.

A First Wave Case Series: RISE3D

As part of the Research the Impacts on Social Equity and Economic Empowerment (RISE3) initiative, the NICE Future initiative developed the RISE3D case study series, from submissions by
participating countries and partner organizations, demonstrating how advanced and innovative nuclear energy technologies, such as small modular reactors, will support the clean energy transition in a variety of community contexts. Read more about the RISE3D case study series .

Nuclear-Hydrogen Digest: The Role of Nuclear Energy in the Hydrogen Economy

NICE Future, with the support of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, has published the Nuclear-Hydrogen Digest: The Role of Nuclear Energy in the Hydrogen Economy. It showcases, from multiple stakeholders around the globe, examples of leading nuclear produced hydrogen initiatives which can be used to power hard-to-electrify sectors such as transport and heavy industry. Nuclear-hydrogen is no longer a vision, but an actionable way to support the hydrogen economy. Explore the publication.

Fostering the International Adoption of Nuclear Energy

An American Nuclear Society article outlines how the NICE Future initiative helps countries explore how nuclear technologies can support economic growth, energy security, and energy access while enabling the expansion of renewable energy. Read more on the American Nuclear Society website

Nuclear's Role in Clean Energy: Fact Sheet Series

The NICE Future initiative developed a set of fact sheets that provide high-level information on the potential role of nuclear energy in current and future clean energy systems, providing information on the overarching benefits of nuclear energy, the scale of technologies available, and opportunities to provide clean energy for the grid, industry, and transportation.

Nuclear Energy: Environmental Sustainability and Clean Air

Advanced Nuclear Reactors — A Valuable Clean Energy Resource

Clean, Reliable Energy in Small Packages: Micro- and Small Modular Reactors

Integrated Energy Systems: Maximizing Clean Energy for Industry, Transportation, and the Grid

Actions to Enable Flexible Nuclear Energy

In April 2021, the NICE Future initiative convened a virtual workshop with over 50 experts from a dozen countries to discuss and identify barriers to the deployment of flexible nuclear energy. The results of this workshop and key actions that can enable flexible nuclear energy are summarized in this publication. Explore the fact sheet.

Pathways to Net Zero Using Nuclear Innovation 

This publication is intended to help policymakers and the Clean Energy Ministerial understand the paths that different participant countries are taking to reach their clean energy goals with the help of nuclear innovation. It also includes the perspectives of various international organizations that highlight where nuclear energy’s contributions to emission reductions could grow further. Learn more.

Flexible Nuclear Energy for Clean Energy Systems 

Flexible Nuclear Energy for Clean Energy Systems provides a collection of technical analyses that, in the aggregate, demonstrate the current and potential future roles for nuclear energy in providing power system flexibility to meet energy demands. While the data and analysis presented may reveal differences between sections due to the individual authors' perspective or focus, collectively they seek to explore the value of flexible nuclear energy. Learn more.

Breakthroughs: Nuclear Innovation in a Clean Energy System

Breakthroughs: Nuclear innovation for clean energy systems tells how nuclear innovation is an enabler of clean energy systems globally. This book is intended as a starting point for examining how nuclear energy can complement broader clean energy systems and is focused on innovation happening today in the global nuclear industry. The stories in the book reveal what may be surprising or unexpected contributions—contributions that reimagine the role of nuclear energy in clean energy systems of the future. And the people, approaches and solutions in the book provide answers to some of the tough questions facing nuclear energy development. Learn more.

From Our Partners

Lucid Catalyst: Missing Link to Livable Climate - How Hydrogen-Enabled Synthetic Fuels Can Help Deliver the Paris Goals

Analysts focused on the potential for clean hydrogen to accelerate decarbonization. This report is an urgent call to address and act upon the gaps in the literature, where advanced heat technologies are either drastically under-represented, or entirely omitted, from the range of clean production. Read the full report. 

Nuclear Energy Agency: The Costs of Decarbonization

The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) is an intergovernmental agency that facilitates cooperation among countries with advanced nuclear technology infrastructures. In addition to their work in nuclear technology, they also work with the economics of nuclear energy. In their report, The costs of decarbonization, the NEA examines some of the scenarios that have been proposed to drastically reduce emissions of energy systems globally. These scenarios include large amounts of renewable technologies, hydropower and nuclear energy. The report finds that a cost-effective low-emissions system would likely include large capacities of both traditional renewable energy sources and dispatchable nuclear energy. Some of the nuclear technology identified is still under development, and the report seeks to help countries make informed decisions about key technologies for their clean energy futures.