Nuclear Power’s Potential for Carbon Emission Reduction in Chinese Mainland Based on Real Data and Scenario Analysis

China's economic growth prompted the increase in carbon emissions for the past years, which has been caught the attention from the government. Actually, a large share of China's carbon emissions is produced by the electricity sector. And that means the electricity sector plays a key role in emission reduction. Carbon emission reductions during 2009 to 2013 have been estimated and calculated in this paper, and nuclear power shows the potential for emission reductions. Then, China’s nuclear power potentials for carbon emission reduction from 2015 to 2025 have been predicted and expected under three scenarios. Finally, conclusions show emission reductions under the American scenario is highest. However, only 2% of China’s energy is from the atom, which should be paid more attention to. On executive orders and policies, the Chinese Government should provide more and substantial supports for China’s nuclear power development.