Abstract
Renewables will play an important role in achieving net zero at an affordable cost, but they face two key challenges. One is that wind and solar power are variable on both short- and long-term time scales, which requires expensive energy storage. The other is that they are focused on electricity, even though much of our energy use is for heat or is delivered while moving. Certainly, there will be a move towards more electrification, but we need to keep an open mind on how fossil fuels are replaced in industry. The talk will explore how nuclear power can provide both heat and electricity flexibly, lowering the cost of supporting the grid when renewables are scarce, making use of them when there is a surplus, and, at the same time, opening new solutions for a carbon-emissions-free industry.
