New reactors are urgently needed. Without them the contribution of nuclear power to the United States’ energy needs will decrease over the next several decades.
The vast majority of new designs require a new fuel production chain that doesn’t exist today. The length of time it takes to gain commercial support for funding, address technical and regulatory issues, and then construct the necessary fuel-cycle infrastructure creates special challenges for bringing advanced reactors to market.
In order to address these challenges government coordination and support from the Department of Energy is essential to realizing the benefits associated with the use of advanced reactors in the United States.