EIA World Energy Outlook sees a 30% increase in nuclear energy production

Worldwide, consumption of electricity generated from nuclear power increases from 2,523 billion kilowatthours in 2003 to 2,940 billion kilowatthours in 2015 and 3,299 billion kilowatthours in 2030. Higher fossil fuel prices and the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol are expected to improve prospects for new nuclear power capacity over the projection period, and the world nuclear generation projections include new construction of nuclear plants in several countries. In the IEO2006 reference case, the world’s total installed nuclear capacity rises from 361 gigawatts in 2003 to 438 gigawatts in 2030, with declines in capacity projected only for Europe— both non-OECD and OECD—where several countries have either plans or mandates to phase out nuclear power, or where old reactors are expected to be retire and not replaced.

Nuclear power generation in the non-OECD countries increases by 3.5 percent per year between 2003 and 2030. Non-OECD Asia, in particular, is expected to see the largest increment in installed nuclear generating capacity, accounting for 69 percent of the total increase in nuclear power capacity for the non-OECD countries (Figure 13). Of the 51 gigawatts of additional installed nuclear generating capacity projected for non-OECD Asia between 2003 and 2030, 33 gigawatts is projected for China and 12 gigawatts for India. Russia accounts for most of the remaining non-OECD additions of nuclear capacity, adding 22 gigawatts over the projection period.