U.S. Sets Targets to Triple Nuclear Energy Capacity by 2050

“Nuclear energy is the nation’s largest source of clean power and avoids more than 470 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, which is the equivalent of removing 100 million cars from the road. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates we’ll need an additional 200 gigawatts (GW) of new nuclear capacity to keep pace with future power demands and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. But how will we get there? The United States just set new deployment targets at the U.N. climate summit (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. The plan is to add 35 GW of new capacity by 2035 and achieve a sustained pace of 15 GW per year by 2040 to help keep us on track toward our ultimate goal. The new framework is the first of its kind for our nuclear sector and identifies more than 30 actions the U.S. government can take, along with industry and power customers, to help expand our domestic capacity.” (Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy)

deep tech newsletter

A weekly dispatch featuring exclusive interviews with deep tech founders & a roundup of the most important deep tech news.

A lightcell is an engine that uses light to make electricity by burning hydrogen/fuel mixed with sodium illuminant. The hot sodium illuminant emits near monochromatic light, which tuned photovoltaic cells collect to make electricity. It was co-invented by Danielle Fong, the co-founder and CEO of Lightcell Energy, and earlier this week the team received a patent for their device. (Image via Danielle Fong/X)

Silk Road Creator Ross Ulbricht Is Waiting for Trump to Keep His Word—and Set Him Free / The Onion Buys Alex Jones’s Infowars Out of Bankruptcy / Military bases can use private 5G networks, Pentagon says / The US Has a Cloned Sheep Contraband Problem / In 1924, the US Turned Off Their Radios to Search for Life on Mars / Genetic Discrimination Is Coming for Us All / Large Language Models in National Security Applications / Gwern Branwen – How an Anonymous Researcher Predicted AI’s Trajectory / Plastic-eating insect discovered in Kenya / A trash compactor is going to the space station / Donald Trump announces Elon Musk will co-lead Department of Government Efficiency / When you ask ChatGPT “Tell me a story” it’s always is about a girl named Elara / Welcome to the Antarctic Fire Department / Consciousness Might Hide in Our Brain’s Electric Fields / The voice of America Online’s “You’ve got mail” has died at age 74 / The AI Machine Gun of the Future Is Already Here / Mattel accidentally linked a porn site on Wicked doll packaging