Comments on NYSERDA Nuclear Blueprint

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) recommends that NYSERDA establish a minimum clean firm capacity need, evaluate the whole-system value of nuclear energy beyond capital expenditure, and consider a wider range of technologies, including gigawatt-scale reactors. To reduce costs, CATF suggests a 'fleet approach' with pooled orderbooks and government-backed financial solutions. The document also proposes that the state explore a 'state champion' model, potentially through a purpose-made vehicle, to lead deployment and mitigate the financial risks that have stalled new nuclear construction in the U.S.

• New York's climate goals, including 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040, will likely require 20-40GW of clean firm capacity by 2050, with nuclear being the only currently demonstrated technology capable of reaching this scale within two decades.
• Current capacity expansion modeling is insufficient; NYSERDA should instead use whole-system cost assessments that include sub-zonal transmission costs, land-use implications, and the social costs of falling back on unabated fossil generation.
• While the draft Blueprint focuses on advanced nuclear, CATF recommends including gigawatt-scale reactors like the GenIII+ Westinghouse AP1000 to leverage domestic competence and 'learning-by-doing' cost reductions.
• To achieve significant cost reductions, New York should adopt a 'fleet approach' using a pooled orderbook of 5-10 units, which could reduce overnight capital costs by an estimated 45-60% between the first and third plants.
• The state should consider a 'state champion' model for deployment, where a government entity or purpose-made vehicle leads the process to absorb risk and effect standardization, similar to successful models in France, South Korea, and Canada.
• Nuclear energy should be evaluated for its potential to decarbonize New York's industrial sector, which consumes 329.5 trillion Btu of energy and emits 30,788 thousand metric tons of CO2.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Comments on NYSERDA Nuclear Blueprint. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/28174322/NYSERDAs-Nuclear-Blueprint-Comments.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Comments on NYSERDA Nuclear Blueprint. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/28174322/NYSERDAs-Nuclear-Blueprint-Comments.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Comments on NYSERDA Nuclear Blueprint |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/28174322/NYSERDAs-Nuclear-Blueprint-Comments.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{cleanairtaskforcendcomments, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Comments on NYSERDA Nuclear Blueprint}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/28174322/NYSERDAs-Nuclear-Blueprint-Comments.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }