Updating America's Nuclear Power

Beliveau, Andrew; Castro, James; Cushion, John; Lehman, Nathan

Student Work

Updating America's Nuclear Power

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America’s first commercial nuclear reactors began powering the grid in the 1960s, with the most modern designs and equipment available. While these reactors have aged, science and technology have progressed. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has declared that many of these geriatric reactors must be decommissioned, almost all within the next decade. The question remains: how can we respond to this challenge given that reactor energy provides one-fifth of the US electricity supply? New reactor designs, dubbed Generation IV reactors, are considerably more advanced than these aging relics, producing more energy, in a far more reliable and safe design, for less money. This project submits recommendations for four distinct sets of circumstances.

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