The rate at which new electric power plants are constructed is a key indicator of the shifting demand for electricity and the relative competitiveness of generation technologies. The construction of new nuclear power plants attracts unique attention due to its important—but dwindling–role in global electricity generation, questions about its cost-competitiveness, strong support from the industry and some national governments, and very divergent assessments of its necessity to meet climate and energy security goals.
The construction history of nuclear power is defined by distinct boom and bust periods and shifting geographic centers of activity. The nuclear industry bloomed in the mid-1960s, averaging about 19 new reactor construction starts per year through the early 1980s. But the industry cratered thereafter, with new construction starts in the low single digits throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. The deep retrenchment was caused by the Chernobyl accident and renewed public concern about safety, the rising cost of new construction, new regulatory challenges, lower costs of solar and wind power, and protracted debates about long-term waste disposal.
“Time is money.” The cost-competitiveness challenge faced by nuclear power is underscored by the steady increase in the time it takes to construct a new facility. Construction times ballooned and cost increases were inevitable. Plants grew larger and more complex, and following high-profile nuclear accidents such as Three Mile Island (1979) and Chernobyl (1986), many countries implemented much stricter safety regulations. In the United States, the process of obtaining the necessary licenses and permits for new nuclear plants became longer and more cumbersome. This included environmental impact assessments, public consultations, and negotiations with multiple regulatory bodies, which can significantly extend construction times.1 Strident public opposition sometimes forced delays, as when upwards of 200,000 people protested the Lemoniz Nuclear Power Plant near Bilbao, Spain in 1977.2 Recent construction times exhibit wide variability and averaged 9.4 years from 2013 to 2022.3
In 2024 there were about 60 reactors under construction in the world and they are heavily concentrated in Asia.4 China accounts for more than one-half of new construction in recent years.
What of the future for new construction? In March 2024 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) convened a Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, Belgium.5 Thirty-two countries, including the United States and many European countries currently operating nuclear reactors, signed a declaration that placed the expansion of nuclear power as essential to a clean energy transition and energy security.6
Others question the desirability and “essentiality” of nuclear power due to its declining share of global electricity generation, the rise of cheaper renewable sources, better utility-scale battery storage, and the potential for smarter grid management to ease supply constraints.7 The German government concluded that “global climate scenarios show that nuclear energy is not needed to achieve climate targets according to the Paris Agreement.8 In April 2023 Germany shut down its last operating nuclear power plant.
1 Jacobs, John, Lesley Jantarasami and Xan Fishman, “Licensing and Permitting Reforms to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Deployment,” January 22, 2024, Link
2 The Global Nonviolent Action Database, “Basque citizens end construction of Lemoniz Nuclear Power Plant, 1976-1978,” accessed July 3, 2024, https://tinyurl.com/48jne6p8
1 Jacobs, John, Lesley Jantarasami and Xan Fishman, “Licensing and Permitting Reforms to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Deployment,” January 22, 2024, Link
3 1 Mycle Schneider and Antony Froggatt, “The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2023,” A Mycle Schneider Consulting Project, 2023, Link
4 World Nuclear Association, “Nuclear Power in China,” June 3, 2024, Link
5 Nuclear Energy Summit, Brussels 2024, “Declaration on nuclear energy,” https://nes2024.org/en/declaration
6 Countries supporting the declaration: Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of AmericaLink
7 Cooke, Stephanie. “The Fantasy of Reviving Nuclear Energy.” The New York Times, April 18, 2024, Link
8 German Environment Agency, “What Is the Role of Nuclear Energy in Achieving Climate Targets in Global Scenarios?,” 30 November 2023, https://tinyurl.com/yvyftwf2
