Congressional Progress Report on the American Nuclear Renaissance

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Trump’s nuclear executive orders have spurred activity, but limited progress and persistent structural hurdles show the United States still has significant work to do. 

The US Congress is largely responsible for laying the groundwork for what has now emerged as a potential American nuclear energy renaissance. So, it was timely that the Senate recently took stock of how far this process has come, with a focus on actions resulting from President Donald Trump’s cluster bomb of nuclear energy executive orders (EOs) issued last May.

What the Senate learned is that there is a lot of activity generated by the EOs, but little tangible commercial result. 

No new commercial reactors are under construction or contract in the United States. 

Next-generation small reactors are frantically pushing forward with development, but there is a long way to go before any are ready for the market. 

Bottlenecks have developed in providing nuclear fuel for large and small reactors.

Ensuring robust supply chains and developing a skilled workforce are significant challenges. 

The inability to tame reactor construction cost overruns remains a major stumbling block to deployment at scale.

While Russia and China race ahead with nuclear exports, the United States lags but has gained some ground.

Progress Report on Expanded Nuclear Power

Bipartisan support on Capitol Hill has fed billions of dollars into the effort to resuscitate the US nuclear energy industry. This is a response to many domestic and geopolitical factors, including the over-dependence on Russian nuclear fuel, an atrophied American supply chain, the need for energy security, and the rapidly rising demand for electricity. 

Reactor Restarts and Uprates

Certainly, the most successful element in the rebirth of nuclear energy in America is the restart of shuttered reactors and the extended life and additional power output of operating reactors. The Department of Energy (DOE) projects that the restart of shuttered reactors and the power uprating of operating units will add an additional five gigawatts (GW) by 2029.

The highlights include the Crane Restart project at Three Mile Island, which will add 835 megawatts (MW), and the restart of the Palisades reactor in Michigan, which will provide another 800 MW. Both will be ready in the next two years. The Duane........

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