Nuclear Energy: Supply Chain Deep Dive Assessment

Abstract

The report “America’s Strategy to Secure the Supply Chain for a Robust Clean Energy Transition” lays out the challenges and opportunities faced by the United States in the energy supply chain as well as the federal government plans to address these challenges and opportunities. It is accompanied by several issue-specific deep dive assessments, including this one, in response to Executive Order 14017 “America’s Supply Chains,” which directs the Secretary of Energy to submit a report on supply chains for the energy sector industrial base. The Executive Order is helping the federal government to build more secure and diverse U.S. supply chains, including energy supply chains. To combat the climate crisis and avoid the most severe impacts of climate change, the U.S. is committed to achieving a 50 to 52 percent reduction from 2005 levels in economy-wide net greenhouse gas pollution by 2030, creating a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035, and achieving net zero emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognizes that a secure, resilient supply chain will be critical in harnessing emissions outcomes and capturing the economic opportunity inherent in the energy sector transition. Potential vulnerabilities and risks to the energy sector industrial base must be addressed throughout every stage of this transition. The DOE energy supply chain strategy report summarizes the key elements of the energy supply chain as well as the strategies the U.S. government is starting to employ to address them. Additionally, it describes recommendations for Congressional action. DOE has identified technologies and crosscutting topics for analysis in the one-year time frame set by the Executive Order. Along with the policy strategy report, DOE is releasing 11 deep dive assessment documents, including this one, covering the following technology sectors: • Carbon capture materials, • Electric grid including transformers and high voltage direct current (HVDC), • Energy storage, • Fuel cells and electrolyzers, • Hydropower including pumped storage hydropower (PSH), • Neodymium magnets, • Nuclear energy, • Platinum group metals and other catalysts, • Semiconductors, • Solar photovoltaics (PV), and • Wind. DOE is also releasing two deep dive assessments on the following crosscutting topics: • Commercialization and competitiveness, and • Cybersecurity and digital components. More information can be found at www.energy.gov/policy/supplychains.