About one-fifth of the world's energy consumption is used for electricity generation, and today nuclear energy contributes approximately 15.2 % of the world's electricity. Most of the world's energy consumption is for heat and transportation. Through advanced applications, nuclear energy has considerable potential to penetrate these energy sectors now served by fossil fuels that are characterized by price volatility, finite supply, and environmental concerns. Advanced applications of nuclear energy include seawater desalination, district heating, heat for industrial processes, and electricity and heat for hydrogen production. In addition, in the transportation sector, since nuclear electricity is generally produced in a base load mode at stable prices, there is considerable near-term potential for nuclear power to contribute as a carbon-free source of electricity for charging electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
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