You had a lot of questions about next-generation nuclear reactors. We posed them to the experts
The United States is speeding up efforts to license and build a new generation of nuclear reactors to supply carbon-free electricity
The United States is speeding up efforts to license and build a new generation of nuclear reactors to supply carbon-free electricity.
Faster development is one thing Congress and the administration agree on. President Joe Biden signed legislation in July to modernize the licensing of new reactor technologies so they can be built faster. Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate environment and House energy committees praised the enactment.
The U.S. is pursuing small modular reactors and advanced reactors. Some designs use something other than water for cooling, such as liquid metal, helium or liquid salt. Developers say the advanced coolants allow the reactors to run at low pressure, making them safer than traditional designs.
Russia and China are the only countries that are already operating advanced reactors.
The United States is trying to boost the new technology; the Energy Department announced $900 million in funding in June. Bill Gates' company, TerraPower, is the first in the U.S. to apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a construction permit for an advanced reactor that would operate as a commercial nuclear power plant.
Readers had questions for The Associated Press about evolving nuclear. They wonder how the next generation of reactors can be a climate solution, where the radioactive waste would go, and above all, whether these new reactor designs are safe.
The AP turned to White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi and experts at the Energy Department and Nuclear Regulatory Commission to help answer those questions.
Q: Elizabeth M. from Bisbee, Arizona said
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