The Idaho National Laboratory is celebrating its 60th anniversary with ceremonies to recognize its contributions to the world’s use of nuclear energy.

The laboratory has played a key role in the development of the nation’s nuclear energy capability.  The remote site was chosen in 1949 by the then Atomic Energy Commission to conduct experiments in the controlled use of nuclear reactors.

In 1950, the first of many innovative reactor designs, Experimental Breeder Reactor-I, was developed at the site, then known as the National Reactor Testing Station.  In an historic milestone in 1951, EBR-I produced electricity from nuclear power for the first time.  In 1953, it demonstrated the principle of “breeding,” where a reactor produces more fuel than it consumes.

Through the 1950s and 1960s, more than 40 other innovative reactors were designed, built and operated at the site.

The 1970s saw much nuclear safety research at the lab, mainly for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  Nuclear power tests were conducted on various accident scenarios, which helped provide key insights on the Three Mile Island accident.

As the nation’s leading center of nuclear energy research and development, the INL is set to continue its development and testing efforts into future nuclear power systems, advanced nuclear fuel cycles and nuclear medical applications.