Key Issues
Industry and Government Programs
The industry and the federal government are jointly funding projects to make new reactors available as a clean energy source to help meet growing electricity demand in the United States.
Energy Department's Nuclear Power 2010 Program
No applicant has yet been granted a combined construction/operating license (combined license) from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Until the first licenses are granted, there remains the potential for costly unintended delays for new nuclear plant projects. Through its Nuclear Power 2010 initiative, the U.S. Department of Energy and the industry are sharing the cost of testing the NRC’s new licensing process. The objective is to ensure that the licensing process is effective and efficient.Energy Department’s Generation IV Initiative
In 2002, DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology created the Generation IV reactor initiative to develop new plant designs that minimize waste and are even safer and more proliferation-resistant than today’s nuclear plant designs. Generation IV reactors are advanced technologies expected to go into commercial use around 2030.Congress authorized continued funding for this research in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The legislation set aside $2.9 billion for nuclear research and development and hydrogen projects, including $1.6 billion for general nuclear energy research and development, which supports the Generation IV reactor initiative and other advanced technology programs. Generation IV systems are projected to be available as prototypes in the next decade.