Key Issues
Industry and Government Programs
The industry and the federal government are jointly funding projects to make new reactors available as utilities build large power plants.
Energy Department's Nuclear Power 2010 Program
No applicant has yet used the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s new licensing process for new plants in its entirety, and 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 for new nuclear power plants. 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.
Viewpoints on Nuclear Energy
New Nuclear Plant Status
Priorities for the 110th Congress
The top priority of the nuclear energy industry in the 110th Congress is to facilitate the construction of new nuclear plants to provide clean, reliable baseload electricity.