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IAEA webinar notes that best-paying clean energy jobs are in nuclear

April 22, 2022, 6:59AMANS Nuclear Cafe

In the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, the highest-paying jobs will continue to be in the nuclear power industry, which provides significant and sustainable employment that benefits local and regional economies. That observation was made during a recent webinar sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency titled “Investing in Low Carbon Technologies: Job Creation for Just Energy Transitions.”

Representatives from the clean energy industry discussed how rising living standards and job creation around the world can be ensured as energy investments align to meet climate goals.

The economic benefits of nuclear power: According to a working paper by the International Monetary Fund, “Investments in nuclear power produce the biggest economic multiplier effect of any clean energy source. Nuclear power creates about 25 percent more employment per unit of electricity than wind power, while workers in the nuclear industry earn one-third more than those in the renewables sector.”

Philippe Costes, a senior advisor with the World Nuclear Association, said, “Nuclear offers jobs with higher wages than any other energy technology, roughly 25 to 30 percent higher. But importantly, while nuclear provides jobs locally around the plant and in regional economies during construction similar to wind, during operation, only nuclear provides significant and sustainable jobs to the local and regional economies.”

A “just transition”: “Moving away from the use of fossil fuels must not leave anyone behind; this is the concept of a just transition,” said Henri Paillere, head of the IAEA Planning and Economic Studies Section. “Investing in all clean technologies is needed on a massive scale, and this must be done in a way that creates jobs [and] economic growth and supports sustainable development.”

Tags:
clean energyemploymentinternational atomic energy agencynuclear industry jobs
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