The Conversion Problem: A 50-Year Decision Being Made by Default
ATLAS · Jun 2, 2026

The Conversion Problem: A 50-Year Decision Being Made by Default

The U.S. is contracting decades of new thermal generation without seriously examining how that heat is converted. Recompression supercritical CO2 Brayton cycles deliver 45 to 50% thermal efficiency where steam cycles reach 33 to 37%. The plants being contracted today will run until 2070. This is a 50-year decision being made by default.

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