Conventional prescriptive regulatory approaches to nuclear safety, while effective in managing the current light-water reactor fleet, fail to adequately regard and consider the innovative capabilities of next-generation advanced reactor designs. Adoption of a risk-informed, performance-based framework to nuclear regulatory activities, as opposed to adherence to traditional regulatory paradigms, may be a critical step towards unleashing

Although nuclear power plant construction continues at an active pace worldwide, Westinghouse's declaration of bankruptcy is perhaps the latest indicator of the health of the U.S. nuclear industry and its considerable challenges. While China and Russia maintain vigorous new build programs both domestically and internationally, current reactor construction projects in the U.S. have suddenly been

June 23, 2017 Nuclear power plays an indispensable role in limiting, or perhaps even reducing, the costs of transitioning towards a clean, low-emissions energy system. Without nuclear, achieving zero or reduced emissions in the energy sector becomes more costly. Moreover, the cost efficiency potential of advanced nuclear designs may actually reduce the costs of power

The molten salt reactor (MSR) is a Generation IV reactor design that has received renewed interest in recent years from a number of advanced nuclear firms and developers in North America. MSR technology was extensively researched in the 1960s by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), with the research work culminating in the Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment

April 28, 2017 President Trump's budget proposal touches upon two important issues for U.S. nuclear power: advanced nuclear energy R&D and a final solution to the country's commercial spent nuclear fuel. Although the proposed budget earmarked $120 million for the resumption of licensing activities for Yucca Mountain, it also contained reduced spending for energy R&D

Nuclear reactors are capable of providing alternate or auxiliary functions outside of power generation. Two notable non-electricity applications are process heat and desalination. These non-electricity applications of nuclear power reactors can be utilized to improve the economics of nuclear reactors while providing solutions for high-temperature industrial processes as well as the global water shortage through

February 24, 2017 Nuclear power issues are inherently international in scope, and thus, it is vital to educate and train the next-generation of civil nuclear professionals and leaders with an international perspective. Numerous educational programs are aimed not only at addressing the technical issues of sustainability, safety, security, and safeguards, but also the social, economic,

Although there is no such thing as a perfect repository site for spent nuclear fuel, Yucca Mountain possesses many positive attributes that one can arguably characterize it as the most optimal disposal option for U.S. nuclear waste. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act clearly states that DOE and NRC are the key decision makers with respect

The management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste from civilian nuclear activities remains a problematic issue for many nuclear power countries, and the United States is no exception. A final geological repository has yet to be established in the U.S., and the entirety of the growing stockpile of spent fuel is currently located at

Interest in advanced nuclear technologies is increasing during a time of uncertainty for the global nuclear industry, which is facing strong competition from low-cost natural gas and renewables. Next-generation nuclear technologies have the potential for significantly more cost-competitive power generation and improved economics. Market opportunities for these advanced nuclear concepts will likely be concentrated in