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Conference Spotlight
2025 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
November 9–12, 2025
Washington, DC|Washington Hilton
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Latest News
IAEA again raises global nuclear power projections
Noting recent momentum behind nuclear power, the International Atomic Energy Agency has revised up its projections for the expansion of nuclear power, estimating that global nuclear operational capacity will more than double by 2050—reaching 2.6 times the 2024 level—with small modular reactors expected to play a pivotal role in this high-case scenario.
IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi announced the new projections, contained in the annual report Energy, Electricity, and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period up to 2050 at the 69th IAEA General Conference in Vienna.
In the report’s high-case scenario, nuclear electrical generating capacity is projected to increase to from 377 GW at the end of 2024 to 992 GW by 2050. In a low-case scenario, capacity rises 50 percent, compared with 2024, to 561 GW. SMRs are projected to account for 24 percent of the new capacity added in the high case and for 5 percent in the low case.
Advanced Reactor Safety (ARS)
Technical Session|Panel
Monday, June 17, 2024|3:15–5:00PM PDT|Palm A
Session Chair:
David S. Grabaskas
Session Organizer:
Alternate Chair:
Matthew D. Bucknor
The U.S. nuclear industry is currently in the middle of a historic shift towards the utilization of risk-informed performance-based (RIPB) design and licensing approaches. Moving from a supporting role, RIPB methods are now leading key reactor decision-making. Such methods permit flexibility and encourage consistency between the plant’s risk profile and appropriate design and licensing actions. However, RIPB approaches are not without their difficulties, including the need for detailed probabilistic assessments and addressing a lack of historic precedent in many areas. This panel explores the current transition to RIPB approaches, including efforts that are currently underway, plans for the future, and hurdles to overcome.
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