nucleareurope discusses role of nuclear in the energy mix at FoU Energy Transition Summit
On 18 March 2026, nucleareurope Communications and Advocacy Director Jessica Johnson participated in the Future of Utilities (FoU) Energy Transition summit, held in Amsterdam. As part of the event, she intervened in a panel session on the role of nuclear in the energy mix.
In her intervention, Jessica highlighted the nuclear alliance target of having 150 Gigagwatt (GW) of installed nuclear capacity by 2050, and noted the fact that this will require long-term operation of existing facilities, as well as both large and small new build.
“Large scale deployment of all clean energy technologies is essential to the future of Europe: the continent needs access to massive amounts of homegrown clean electricity, heat and hydrogen. It is no longer a question of either or.” she added, noting that the recent geopolitical situation has only strengthened this message.
Jessica then outlined some of the bottlenecks which could affect project delivery, especially in terms of the supply chain and skills. She stressed that policymakers have a role to play by clearly communicating that nuclear has a future in Europe, in order to accelerate the ramp up of supply chain capacities, and encourage more people to consider a career in nuclear.
Referring to the Skills4Nuclear project, Jessica highlighted the fact that we face a shortage across all areas, including construction. Adding that this is not just a nuclear problem, with many industries facing similar issues, Jessica encouraged policymakers to apply a coordinated approach to build up the skill sets which multiple industries need.
Jessica concluded her intervention by discussing public acceptance. She specifically stressed the fact that the closer one lives to a nuclear power plant, the greater the public support – thanks the benefits brought by nuclear to local communities. She further highlighted the need for the industry to engage in a conversation with communities to identify what their needs are, in order to demonstrate how these can be met.