WHAT'S THE ISSUE?

Future clean power sources face a trilemma of Cs: Carbon emissions, continuity of supply, and cost. Most options can only meet the needs of two of these, leaving some experts arguing in favor of harnessing nuclear energy for peace of mind.

There's also great excitement surrounding nuclear fusion, with which China and the UK are experimenting. Nuclear fusion, the fundamental energy process of the stars and sun, has the potential to provide infinite clean energy to the world.

However, although nuclear energy is described as a renewable resource, the material it uses up is not, making it one of the most controversial power sources of the clean energy movement.

To explain what nuclear power could bring to the table, The Agenda with Stephen Cole is joined by Sama Bilbao y Leon.

MEET THE EXPERT

Sama Bilbao y Leon has been director-general of the World Nuclear Association since October, 2020.

Until 2018, she headed the division of nuclear technology development and economics at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency.

Bilbao y Leon holds a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a Master's degree in energy technologies from the Polytechnic University of Madrid; a Master's degree and a PhD in nuclear engineering and engineering physics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison; and an MBA from Averett University.

WHAT DOES SHE SAY?

Bilbao y Leon says nuclear could relieve some of the pressure of the current global energy crisis by helping with self-sufficiency.

"Nuclear could be an enormous contribution to energy independence because it is dependent on the local workforce and local supply chains," she says. "So the idea is that you can be very much independent of all these geopolitical crises that we experience around the world.

"Also, the cost of uranium is very, very little of the total cost of electricity – so if the price of uranium were to double, the price of electricity would only increase by maybe 10 percent or so."

Asked about why nuclear is still proving controversial within the renewable energy sector, Bilbao Y Leon blamed a lack of knowledge.

"We're very good at making [negative] headlines, but when you look under the hood, the realities of nuclear power are quite different.

"We are already seeing in California strong demands that the state government reconsiders the closure of its nuclear power unit… they are recognizing nuclear as a round-the-clock, reliable, clean, affordable energy source."

ALSO ON THE AGENDA:

- Zhao Feng, head of strategy and market intelligence at Global Wind Energy Council explains how China is leading the way in wind power.

- Kingsmill Bond, energy strategist at the Rocky Mountain Institute, explains the real cost of going green, and why short-term infrastructure prices outweigh the cost of inaction longer term.

FIND MORE STORIES FROM THE AGENDA WITH STEPHEN COLE HERE