IAEA Director General Discusses Safeguarding Nuclear Energy Expansion at NTI

As interest in nuclear energy as a promising energy security and climate solution grows around the world, it is paramount that new nuclear energy does not lead to new proliferation risks. At this important moment for the future of nuclear energy, NTI President Joan Rohlfing hosted International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and a group of nuclear energy and security experts for a discussion about the IAEA’s key role in effectively safeguarding the expansion of nuclear energy and related IAEA activities.

On the IAEA’s role in helping its member countries fulfill the pledge that many have made to triple nuclear energy, Director General Grossi said, “We are working with everyone, especially nuclear newcomers, to ensure that every project is going down the right path in terms of safeguards, safety, and security.” He continued, “Another very important area—where we’re not only saying things, but doing things—is regulatory evolution. We can work together to make certain that regulators are ensuring safety without inhibiting progress.”

The conversation also touched on fuel cycle considerations, prospects for financing from international development banks, dynamics in the global commercial nuclear market, the IAEA’s role in supporting a new nuclear deal with Iran, and the importance of engaging a wide variety of community stakeholders on nuclear energy expansion.