Flexible Nuclear Energy for Clean Energy Systems

The Flexible Nuclear Energy for Clean Energy Systems report provides a collection of technical
analyses that, in the aggregate, demonstrate the current and potential future roles for nuclear energy
in providing flexibility in meeting energy demands. For the purposes of this report, flexibility is
defined as:

The ability of nuclear energy generation to economically provide energy services at the time and
location they are needed by end-users. These energy services can include both electric and
nonelectric applications utilizing both traditional and advanced nuclear power plants and
integrated systems.

Power systems around the world are undergoing rapid and significant transformations. Driven by
new cost-effective, low-emissions technologies and growing consensus on the need for economywide clean energy, the past decade has seen accelerated change and innovation in the ways that
humans produce, transmit, and consume energy. These changes are only the beginning. The next
decade will almost assuredly bring more innovation and change to advance the use of clean energy
across all sectors in order to address multiple global challenges (e.g., universal energy access,
energy security, economic recovery, environmental stewardship, climate resilience, and global
health). As part of their individual energy transitions, countries are increasingly seeking ways to
procure the flexibility needed to ensure reliable, affordable, and clean energy for their economies.
Leveraging flexibility and diversity in energy system location, types of energy generation used,
timing and scale of production, diverse energy applications, and multiple energy carriers and
storage will be essential to achieving economy-wide clean energy transitions.