Multi-criteria analysis of nuclear power in the global energy system: Assessing trade-offs between simultaneously attainable economic, environmental and social goals

To investigate the complex relationships among the energy-related challenges faced by humanity, we marry a large-scale energy systems model, MESSAGE, with a multi-criteria model analysis tool. Such an approach is applicable to other modelling frameworks and can significantly improve the analysis of multiple goals. We focus our study on nuclear power - a technology viewed differently by different stakeholders. We find that nuclear power plays an important role in global climate change mitigation efforts where energy security and affordability goals take precedence, but that the total amount of nuclear in the system is highly dependent on stakeholders' preferences. We also find synergies among climate mitigation and energy security goals, and also between these two goals and the reduced need for underground carbon storage. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.