The Status of Advanced Nuclear Technologies

Nuclear energy has provided nearly 20 percent of electrical generation in the United States over the past two decades and currently produces 60 percent of America's carbon free-electricity, but the 99 reactors licensed to operate today in the United States will not last forever. The lack of a comprehensive set of solutions has hampered both commercial nuclear development as well as defense waste cleanup efforts. If nuclear power is to have a future, the U.S. must pursue research, development and deployment of next generation nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors, micro-reactors, Generation IV reactors and future fusion reactors. New designs must be safer, cheaper and efficient, and proliferation resistant. The opportunity for innovation in nuclear technologies has not been this great since the 1960's. Despite the many difficult challenges associated with full deployment, technical, financial, bureaucratic and license-related, there is unprecedented interest from both the public and private sectors.