WORKSHOP: The Potential Contribution of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technologies to the Decarbonization and Economic Development of Japan and the U.S.
The Fastest Path to Zero Initiative at the University of Michigan, together with its partner, the Center for Research on Nuclear Decommissioning at Tohoku University, hosted a workshop on “The Potential Contribution of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technologies to the Decarbonization and Economic Development of Japan and the U.S.”, on May 29–31, 2024 in Sendai, Japan. This workshop, supported by the U.S. Consulate in Sapporo, involved not only academic experts, but also advanced nuclear reactor developers, policymakers, and leaders of non-governmental organizations. The goal of this workshop was to introduce the various new nuclear reactor technologies, with an emphasis on SMRs and microreactors, and to determine their role in decarbonization strategies of advanced industrial economies such as Japan and the United States. The workshop also explored the potential economic development aspects of introducing new “green technologies”, and the prospects for job creation.
Discussions to Inform the Clean Energy Ministerial
Our three-part discussion series on the equitable design, deployment, and transition to advanced nuclear energy technologies co-hosted by the Fastest Path to Zero Initiative and the Department of Energy as part of the Nuclear Innovation: Clean Energy Future (NICE) future initiative’s new RISE3 campaign on researching the impacts on social equity and economic empowerment. The RISE3 campaign will enable discussion on how nuclear energy and flexible electric and non-electric applications can lift economies and quality of life for communities and nations.
Fastest Path to Zero Summit
The University of Michigan and Third Way, a public policy think tank based in Washington, DC, held the Fastest Path to Zero Summit in 2019, bringing together leading climate advocates, philanthropists, labor leaders, elected officials, academics, and media from across the Midwest and the nation. It is imperative for climate and clean energy experts across disciplines to band together and center climate policies on people and communities beyond just the coasts—ensuring that our nation’s path forward on climate change will be effective, inclusive, equitable, and enduring.