Quotable: “Nuclear electricity is one of the safest forms of energy on the planet. Funding NSI kickstarts the first major philanthropic effort to develop more of this consistent carbon-free energy,” Gebbia said.
“Nuclear electricity is essential to address climate change end energy inequality, and [to] boost energy security,” Boemeke said. “It’s also been an overlooked technology and in need of catalytic philanthropic support to realize its full potential. We’re proud to do our part in supporting these trusted partners in their work to scale nuclear electricity around the world, and we challenge our peers in the philanthropic community to join us in this effort.”
A closer look: NSI is a partnership among the Clean Air Task Force (CATF), the Energy Futures Initiatives Foundation (EFIF), and the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI). The group aims to scale up to 50 or more gigawatts of clean, safe, and secure nuclear power per year by the 2030s.
These efforts come amid a major clean energy transition as nuclear power is being embraced worldwide for its role in combating climate change and providing new generation sources to help meet growing demand for energy. More than 25 countries pledged support at last year’s COP28 meeting to triple nuclear energy by 2050.
“Nuclear energy has moved from a marginal role in the energy and climate conversation to an increasingly central one,” said Armond Cohen, executive director of CATF. “But there is not yet any coherent or comprehensive road map to get nuclear energy to the scale and pace needed to address climate change. The Nuclear Scaling Initiative will fill that gap through new research, multisector coalition- and capacity-building, policy advocacy, and commercial facilitation. We’re humbled by the generous catalytic support of Joe Gebbia and Isabelle Boemeke and look forward to working with them and other philanthropic partners on growing the network of doers and funders for this important mission.”
Next steps: The newly established NSI already has plenty on its plate, including the following:
- Facilitating the formation of a large, organized “order book” for nuclear energy plants, with an initial focus on the U.S. and Central and Eastern Europe.
- Advocating for cohesive regulatory and other policies across international borders to facilitate a truly global industry.
- Promoting financial risk sharing among private parties and governments to reduce first-mover disadvantages.
- Helping develop a road map to expand and sustain global workforces to meet increased demand.
- Encouraging the embedding of nonproliferation and security as essential criteria for a nuclear energy scale up.
Learn more: In 2023, CATF, EFIF, and NTI teamed up to develop and release the Global Playbook for Nuclear Energy Development in Embarking Countries, outlining pathways to develop new nuclear energy projects at 10 times the current pace. The report has been influential in driving progress around nuclear energy and has helped lay the foundation for NSI’s work.
