POWER May 2022 Intl - 26

NUCLEAR
Administration, NRC, Nuclear
Industry Look Ahead to
Uncertain Territory
The Biden administration is fully behind development of new nuclear power
technology. It is encouraging the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to
look at " new approaches to regulation " as advanced reactor designs get reviewed.
That was the message Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm delivered during the
NRC's annual Regulation Information Conference, an online event in early March.
Kennedy Maize
t least in the U.S., it seems that
the conventional liquid water reactor
technology, using water as a
coolant and neutron moderator with solid
metal fuel, the key to nuclear power
technology around the world since the
1950s, has hit an economic and technical
wall. That's particularly true for large, central-station
generation, although there is
some hope for small modular light water
reactors. In any case, the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) believes
its regulatory tasks are likely to change.
In a brief live virtual appearance at the
NRC meeting, U.S. Secretary of Energy
Jennifer Granholm (Figure 1) touted the
benefits of nuclear technology as a reliable
source of electric power, and " a
proven solution to climate change. " She
said, " We need everyone here to speak
up about the benefits of nuclear. " Lawmakers
in Congress, she said, " have to
hear that. " The U.S., she said, needs to
" add more clean, safe, secure nuclear
power. " The administration also wants to
keep existing reactors operating.
The Nuclear Industry Craves a
Smoother Process
The nuclear industry, which has long
complained about NRC regulation, welcomes
this approach. The Nuclear Energy
Institute, the industry's lobbying
group, says on its website, " It's time
to revisit regulations and remove roadblocks
to improve and streamline the
operations of our nuclear fleet. With
right-sized regulations, we can remove
barriers to innovation and implement
newer, even safer nuclear technology
that lay the groundwork for the next generation
of carbon-free technology. " It was
a message many who attended the virtual
conference were happy to hear.
26
A
The administration has backed its rhetoric
with money. While the U.S. Department
of Energy (DOE) has been touting
a $160 million advanced reactor development
program launched in the Trump administration,
on March 9, the same day
Granholm spoke to the NRC confab, the
DOE rolled out a $6 billion " Civil Nuclear
Credit Program, " designed to aid existing,
economically threatened operating
light water reactors.
The DOE issued formal notices of
intent and requests for information to
implement provisions of the administration's
trillion-dollar 2021 infrastructure
program aimed at preserving existing
nuclear generation. In a DOE press release,
Granholm said, " The Bipartisan Infrastructure
Law makes this all possible
by allowing us to leverage our existing
clean energy infrastructure, strengthen
our energy security and protect U.S.
jobs. DOE is facilitating the development
of next generation technologies that can
ultimately lower emissions and bolster
the clean energy workforce. "
Looking to the Future
The NRC's annual gabfest and deep dive
into nuclear technology and regulatory
issues focused on the future, as existing
light-water reactor technology has hit
what appear to be economic and technical
dead ends. The theme of the NRC conference
was " preparing for tomorrow. "
Arshad Mansoor, head of the Electric
Power Research Institute (EPRI), asked,
" Are we ready for the future? " and highlighted
France's decision to revitalize its
once aggressive, recently sleepy, nuclear
power program, and the decision by
West Virginia, once the nation's largest
coal producer, to repeal its long-standing
prohibition of nuclear power plants in the
Mountaineer State.
www.powermag.com
1. Jennifer Granholm, former Democratic
governor of Michigan, is the second woman
to head the energy department. The first was
Hazel O'Leary, the Clinton administration's
first secretary of energy, who served from
1993 to 1997. Source: U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE)
Mansoor said the U.S. " is making
progress " in reducing carbon dioxide
emissions, down from 2005-2020 by
35%. In the decade ahead, he said, " The
largest carbon-free energy source needs
to be there, " meaning nuclear. Atomic
power, he said, " Is not just a clean energy
source, but a source of capacity
and resiliency. " But the U.S. needs a " reimagining "
for nuclear, in terms of following
load, and of supplying power to
produce hydrogen, a future fuel, and ammonia,
long important as an agriculture
fertilizer, but also a potentially potent
energy carrier.
Today, natural gas is typically used to
make hydrogen, which then is combined
with nitrogen through the Haber-Bosch
process to produce ammonia (NH3
).
However, nuclear power could be used
to produce hydrogen through high-temperature
electrolysis (HTE). HTE systems
use the heat and steam generated from
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POWER May 2022 Intl

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