US launches largest nuclear initiative in five decades

US President Biden’s administration has stated its intention to further accelerate the national nuclear initiative by establishing a Nuclear Power Project Management and Delivery working group. Its aim is to bring together the public and private sectors to implement clean nuclear energy and restore US leadership in the industry.

The working group was established alongside the Summit on Domestic Nuclear Deployment, hosted by the White House on Wednesday, May 29. A White House press release following the event stated: “Taken together, these actions represent the largest sustained push to accelerate civilian nuclear deployment in the United States in nearly five decades.” What steps is the US administration taking to achieve its goals?

Some signs of serious ambition have been evident in recent years, including plans to develop a domestic nuclear fuel supply chain instead of relying on Russian uranium. The US is also committed to extending the operating lives of existing nuclear power plants while bringing new plants online. The latest example is the completion and commissioning of Units 3 and 4 at the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia, although it should be noted that these are the first new units in nearly 30 years.

The aforementioned working group will aim to drive rapid growth. It is expected to bring together leading nuclear industry experts, including the Department of Energy and other government agencies, as well as developers, investors, academics and non-governmental organisations. Its unique strength should lie in the breadth of expertise represented, with each participant contributing an individual perspective on the issues at hand. The result should be an effective and reliable solution that also delivers cost savings.

In addition to commercial plans, the public was also informed of plans to use small modular reactors in the military sector. Together with microreactors, they are expected to provide a resilient energy source for critical infrastructure threatened by potential physical or cyberattacks. The White House also said it would soon launch a programme to deploy advanced reactors to power military installations.

The nuclear power sector in the US accounts for 18 % of total electricity generation and employs hundreds of thousands of people. Based on the plans announced, the sector is expected to continue growing in the future. This applies both to the US market and to Europe, where the US has been very active recently.