Organizations, References and Appendices
- Organizations that lent time, insight, and expertise to develop the roadmap
- Glossary of acronyms and organizations
- Definitions used throughout roadmap
Participating Task Force Organizations
The Pennsylvania Nuclear Energy Roadmap is the result of collaboration, and while the strategies and considerations reflect the broadest possible set of views, they do not imply a full endorsement by every participant of the Task Force.
Glossary of Acronyms and Organizations
| ADVANCE Act | Federal legislation designed to modernize nuclear licensing and accelerate deployment of advanced reactors. |
| Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS) | Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards; State policy that requires a certain percentage of electricity sold by utilities or suppliers to come from designated alternative or clean energy sources. |
| Baseload Power | Power plants that operate continuously to meet minimum electricity demand. |
| Capacity Factor | The percentage of time a power plant operates at full output relative to its maximum possible output. Nuclear plants typically have capacity factors above 90%. |
| Capital Stack | The combination of financing sources used to fund a project, including equity, loans, tax incentives, and grants. |
| Contracts for Differences (CFDs) | A financial mechanism that stabilizes project revenues by guaranteeing a fixed electricity price. |
| Credit-Based Structures (CBSs) | Market mechanisms that provide financial credits for electricity generation with certain attributes, such as zero emissions. |
| Dispatchable Generation | Power generation sources that can be turned on or adjusted to meet electricity demand. |
| DOE | U.S. Department of Energy |
| Dry Cask Storage | A method of storing spent nuclear fuel in sealed steel and concrete containers above ground. |
| EPRI | Electric Power Research Institute |
| Enrichment | The process of increasing the concentration of uranium-235 in nuclear fuel. |
| Firm power | Electricity generation that is available on demand and can operate continuously regardless of weather conditions. |
| Fuel Cycle | The full lifecycle of nuclear fuel, including mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication, reactor use, storage, and disposal. |
| Grid Reliability | The ability of the electricity system to consistently deliver power without interruption. |
| Interconnection | The process of connecting a new electricity generator to the power grid. |
| Large Load Customers | Large electricity consumers whose operations require substantial and continuous power demand, typically measured in tens or hundreds of megawatts. |
| Load Growth | Increasing electricity demand over time due to factors such as industrial expansion, electrification, and data centers. |
| NEI | Nuclear Energy Institute |
| NRC | Nuclear Regulatory Commission; The Federal agency responsible for nuclear reactor licensing and safety oversight. |
| Orderbook | The pipeline of planned nuclear reactor deployments that provides demand visibility for manufacturers and suppliers. A clear orderbook allows suppliers to justify investments in nuclear-grade upgrades, certification, tooling, and workforce expansion. |
| PJM | PJM Interconnection; Regional transmission organization that manages electricity markets and grid reliability across multiple states including Pennsylvania. |
| Power Purchasing Agreement | A long-term contract between a power producer and a buyer for the sale of electricity. |
| PEDA | Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority |
| PUC | Public Utility Commission |
| Ratepayers | Individuals, households, businesses, or institutions that pay for electricity service through utility bills or retail electricity rates. |
| Spent Nuclear Fuel | Used nuclear fuel removed from a reactor after it can no longer efficiently sustain the fission process. |
| Transmission System | High-voltage infrastructure that transports electricity over long distances. |
| Fuel Cycle | The full lifecycle of nuclear fuel, including mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication, reactor use, storage, and disposal. |
| Fission | A nuclear reaction in which a heavy atomic nucleus splits into smaller nuclei, releasing energy that can be used to generate electricity. |
| Fusion | A nuclear reaction in which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing large amounts of energy. |