The Trump administration has taken another step to convince businesses to invest in nuclear power by starting a rulemaking process to fast-track approving new microreactors.
The U.S. Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are both taking significant steps to promote the development of microreactors. These nuclear power generators are compact nuclear reactors designed to produce 20 megawatts of thermal energy.
The DOE launched the “first-of-its-kind” test bed facility for private investors to rapidly develop, test and pilot microreactors. The test bed at Idaho National Laboratory is called Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME).
This April 8 notice that DOME is open for business was followed up by another key government action to attract private industry.
Ho K. Nieh, NRC chairman, announced April 24 that next month a Federal Register notice will contain a “groundbreaking” proposed regulatory framework to cut red tape and prove flexible, risk-informed licensing options for new microreactors.
The new rule—called “Licensing Requirements for Microreactors and Other Reactors with Comparable Risk Profile”—is also described as retaining public health and security safeguards.
“This regulatory framework for microreactors marks a major step toward modernizing the licensing process for advanced nuclear reactors,” Nieh said, adding that proposed changes will be “designed to deploy microreactors with safety, scale, and speed.”
The forthcoming rule with its proposed guidance is expected to entice microreactor development by shaving the costs of new projects.
“The NRC and industry expect to save $3.76–$11.84 billion (depending on discount rate), mainly by reducing exemption requests and streamlining reviews. The NRC projects accelerated licensing and deployment timelines of potentially 6–12 months for construction permits,” the commission noted.
The proposed new rule would enable microreactor developers to
- Request approval of fleets of identical reactors,
- Authorize alternative design standards and programs for unique nuclear reactor operations,
- Simplify environmental reviews for some projects, and
- Enable some construction to start before being granted an NRC permit.
Anticipating Growth in Microreactor Development
Both DOE and the NRC expect to see greater interest in developing microreactors to meet the growing power needs of data centers and provide more resilient energy supplies.
“Due to their expected small sizes, low power levels, potential mobility, and simplicity of operation compared to the current fleet of operating power reactors, microreactors and other reactors with comparable risk profiles may be useful, for example, for remote communities, non-electric industrial processes, military bases, maritime applications, disaster relief, and other applications where a grid connection is unreliable or nonexistent,” the proposed rule states.
NRC predicted future microreactors will have standard design features that enable mass production and be able to be transported in containers needing minimal site preparation or construction.
A New Type of Nuclear Test Facility
The high-tech test bed at INL is actually a large dome-shaped facility that is 100 feet tall and 80 feet in diameter. It was created by INL’s National Reactor Innovation Center.
“DOME represents the kind of bold and creative infrastructure investment that America’s nuclear resurgence demands,” INL Director John Wagner described in a DOE announcement. “We are accelerating the next generation of nuclear innovators from concept to demonstration at a pace the industry has not seen in decades.”
According to DOE, DOME is the world’s only facility specifically designed to handled fueled microreactor experiments producing up to 20 megawatts of thermal energy for use as heat or electric power.
“NRIC built this test bed to answer the need of industry to have a facility that would enable them to swiftly convert their innovative concepts into practical demonstrations,” said NRIC Director Brad Tomer. “With the information gathered from their testing at DOME, reactor developers will turn pioneering ideas into validated technologies to advance nuclear energy. We are extremely proud to offer this capability and cannot wait to see the impact it has on the nuclear industry.”
An Increasing Demand for Microreactors
The current administration continues to take successive strides to develop nuclear power, which has played a lesser role in the U.S. energy mix.
A look at the U.S. electricity generation figures for 2023 by the Energy Information Administration showed nuclear energy generated 775 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity (18.6%) compared to fossil fuel’s 60% share.
An increase in the use of microreactors is expected to offer great promise to meet the growing electricity demands of data centers. These advanced reactors are also being targeted as power sources for future military and space needs.
Recently, the U.S. Air Force joined with the Defense Innovation Unit to choose three companies to potentially develop and operate a microreactor at an installation.
- Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado – Radiant Industries Inc. of El Segundo, Calif.
- Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana – Westinghouse Government Services
- Joint Base San Antonio in Texas – Antares Nuclear Inc. of Torrance, Calif.
“The future of air and space dominance is powered by resilient energy,” Michael Borders, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations and Environment, noted April 26 in a statement. “By integrating advanced nuclear technology, we are not just keeping the lights on; we are guaranteeing that our most critical national security missions will never be held at risk by a power outage. This is a pivotal moment for the Department of the Air Force.”
These recent federal government steps to rapidly promote the deployment of microreactors will likely spur widespread national development as more tests are enabled and the need expands for advanced power generators.
