New nuclear - Intergenerational fairness for bill payers?

New nuclear - Intergenerational fairness for bill payers?

Nuclear power plants can be a 140+ year commitment through operational & decommission periods. Actuarial modelling helps understand £ risks

By Government Analysis Function

Date and time

Thu, 29 May 2025 02:00 - 03:00 PDT

Location

Online

About this event

  • Event lasts 1 hour

New nuclear - Intergenerational fairness for bill payers?

Christophor Ward, Government Actuary's Department (GAD)


A nuclear power plant can be a 140+ year commitment, through both its operational and decommission periods. It is crucial that the costs of decommissioning are planned for, and those costs are shared fairly across bill payers - as well as suitably minimising the risks of future taxpayers picking up any shortfall.

In this presentation join colleagues from GAD to look at how actuarial modelling helps government understand those future decommissioning costs, how a fund can be built up before those costs are due, and the risks that could lead to government stepping in if the fund runs out of money too soon...

This session will include introductions to concepts such as discounting, incorporating prudence, and inflation, and how these can be applied to other funding analysis – great explainers for anyone using the government’s Green Book, or doing any sort of forward looking project appraisal.

Learn how how detailed analysis and communicating the results of it can help you tell a story, in non-analytical terms, to decision makers, thereby applying analysis in an accessible format and making an impact.

The concepts in this session will be explained in non-actuarial terms so that all audience members should be able to understand. Attendees will learn how GAD uses modelling to project scenarios that help us to understand risk (mainly financial)

Join this session, learn about some of the ways that actuarial thinking could be applied, and better knowing when to apply it yourself, and when to seek support from GAD or other analysts.


About the presenters


Chris Ward is Investment Lead in the Government Actuary's Department (GAD).

GAD provides actuarial solutions, including financial risk analysis, modelling and advice, to support the UK public sector. GAD is a non-ministerial department.

The presenting team includes members of the Government Actuary's Department (GAD) profession - as GAD is both a department and a profession!


What you could learn in this session

  • Learn about the long-term funding process for nuclear energy and the assumptions involved in the modelling, as well as the risks involved in the process
  • Communicating results of analysis / communicating with impact
  • Having a positive impact on decision making / evidence based decision making
  • Using analysis to influence and impact policy formation / collaborating with Policy Profession
  • Demonstration of a technique or tool that helped the team make an impact

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About AiG Month (1-31 May 2025)

  • Analysis in Government Month (AiG Month) is the UK's largest learning and development event for government analystsThe Analysis Function has around 17,000 members working across analysis professions and government departmentsThis event is part of Analysis in Government (AiG) Month, brought to you by the Analysis Function
  • Every government analyst is considered to be a member of the Analysis Function. Our members include actuaries, digital and data analysts, data scientists, economists, geographers, operational researchers, social researchers, stastisticians, dual badged, and unaffiliated analysts
  • Find out more about AiG Month 2025 on our new AiG Month Hub
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Frequently asked questions

Will this event be recorded?

No. We do not routinely record events as we've found attending live events where you can interact is preferable. We will publish 'learning outcomes' from AiG Month sessions after events, so you can find out more about any useful links, articles, suggested learning, tools and so on.

Who can attend this event?

AiG Month events are designed for and often delivered by UK government analysts. They are open to all to attend however, including the general public, so if you're interested in analysis there will be something for you.

Who organises AiG Month?

AiG Month is organised by the Analysis Function Central Team. You can contact us about AiG Month at Analysis.Function@ons.gov.uk

What is the Analysis Function?

The Analysis Function is one of several cross-government functions tackling the big issues across the entire civil service. Other government functions include Finance Function, HR Function, and Commercial Function. All government analysts are considered to be members of the Analysis Function

Organised by

The membership of the Government Analysis Function is a wide and diverse community of people, it includes:

  • actuaries
  • economists
  • geographers
  • operational researchers
  • social researchers
  • statisticians and data scientists
  • analysts within the Government Digital and Data profession
  • anyone else working in analysis in government

The Government Analysis Function fits into the Civil Service’s functional model. Each analytical profession provides guidance on the expectations of a person in order to be recognised as a member of that profession.

The function brings together all members of the analytical professions as well as anyone or any team that produces analysis, evidence and research to support decision making in government.

The function does not remove the professional identities of each individual profession. It brings them together to be greater than the sum of its parts and to make efficiencies.

The government profession groups within the Government Analysis Function include: