DOE lauds nuclear energy initiatives

Department of Energy (DOE) officials said the nation is on board with nuclear energy innovations, citing several actions that help bear out the agency’s assertion.

The DOE said the nomination of Rita Baranwal as assistant secretary for Nuclear Energy serves as one of the Trump Administration’s biggest moves. She was confirmed by the Senate in June 2019 and is the first woman to lead the office – taking over a $1.3 billion portfolio to promote the research and development of current and advanced nuclear technologies.

The establishment of the National Reactor Innovation Center is noted as another milestone nuclear energy supportive endeavor, officials said, maintaining the project could expedite the licensing and commercialization of advanced reactors.

The National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) provides a platform for private sector technology developers to assess the performance of their reactor concepts through testing and demonstration.

Deploying microreactors, a small reactor to bring power to remote locations, will also assist in broadening the nuclear energy landscape, officials said.

DOE is now working with the Department of Defense to demonstrate and deploy microreactors as early as 2023. The smaller, transportable, factory-built systems can boost resiliency and reliability of energy at remote military locations.

There are a variety of advanced microreactor designs currently being pursued by domestic developers to provide clean energy for microgrid applications.