Miles SmithThe Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Defense will advance nuclear energy testing and development, following four recent executive orders from the White House that seek to reform and streamline reactor testing.
The orders, signed on May 23, allow for reactor design testing at the DOE National Labs, clear the way for construction on federal lands to protect national and economic security, and remove regulatory barriers by requiring the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to issue “timely licensing decisions.”
A renewed focus on nuclear reactor testing could open “a range of new applications to support data centers, microchip manufacturing, petrochemical production, healthcare, desalination, hydrogen production and other industries,” the White House said.
The orders call for the creation of a pilot program to build and operate at least three reactors outside of the National Laboratories, but under contract with and for the account of DOE, with the goal of achieving criticality by July 4, 2026.
Criticality refers to the point at which a nuclear chain reaction becomes self-sustaining, meaning the number of neutrons produced by each fission event is enough to continue the reaction without external intervention.
The White House directed the secretary of defense to create a program for building and deploying a nuclear reactor at a domestic military installation by September 30, 2028. The effort also directs the secretary of energy to designate artificial intelligence data centers that “are located at or operated in coordination with (DOE) facilities . . . as critical defense facilities, where appropriate.”
The orders also task the secretary of energy with:
- Issuing guidance on what counts as a qualified test reactor and taking steps to expeditiously process applications for such reactors.
- Taking action to revise regulations, guidance and procedures to significantly expedite the review, approval and deployment of advanced reactors under DOE jurisdiction in order to enable operational test reactors within two years following a completed application.
- Eliminating or expediting internal environmental review for authorizations, permits, approvals and other activities related to reactor testing.
Image by Markus Distelrath from Pixabay
