Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
PETER LYONS: Any forecast for a clean-energy future for the United States or the world
requires a strong role for nuclear power. Right at 60 years ago, on December 20th, in
Arco, Idaho, the first reactor to produce electrical power was successfully demonstrated
with, I think it was, four 200-watt electrical bulbs.
That initial demonstration by Argonne National Lab laid the groundwork for what has become
a thriving industry here and around the world. The plants in the U.S, particularly at Vogtle,
have been assisted by the loan guarantee – the first conditional loan guarantee issued for
a nuclear power plant. Once the plant’s operational, it’ll be about 800 permanent
jobs. These are high-paying jobs critical to our clean-energy future.
Just last year, the department completed the NP 2010 program to advanced two passively
safe reactors toward a design certification. In the longer term, we’ve got a number of
different programs. One that we’re very excited about is the potential for small modular
reactors. And they may offer some very interesting attributes; we have programs to try to encourage
those.
Another example would be – or a suggestion from the secretary to focus so-called hubs.
The one for nuclear power focuses on modeling and simulation using high-performance computers.
With this we can improve safety and potentially offer significant advances to the current
generation of light water reactors.
We’ve funded about $170 million over the last three years to about 70 of the nation’s
top universities, research programs that are supporting all aspects of nuclear power: improved
safety, improved reactors, improved fuels, looking at advanced reactors – the broadest
range possible. All these are ways that the department has been very, very active.
We’re working to ensure that nuclear power is ready to have its contribution to the clean-energy
future.
(END)