The Department of Energy said Friday it would supplement its $12.5 billion loan guarantee program for nuclear power innovation focusing on a push to license new reactors.
The DOE is “supplementing its existing solicitation that makes up to $12.5 billion available … to support innovative nuclear energy projects,” the While House announced.
The announcement was part of Friday's nuclear power pow-wow at the White House, which industry leaders said was recognition – even if overdue – that nuclear power had a critical role to play in the country's energy generation mix for the future.
"Unfortunately, the existing nuclear fleet is currently undervalued for its environmental benefits,” said Carol Browner of the leadership council for Nuclear Matters. "We need a whole menu of clean energy sources including existing nuclear power, which provides 64% of our country's carbon-free energy, and renewables like wind and solar to ensure a cleaner energy future for our country,” she said.
The DOE has also announced the launch of the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear program (GAIN) that is to serve as a clearing house for all of its efforts to promote advancements in nuclear power technology.
The purpose of GAIN is to “advance nuclear power as a resource capable of meeting the nation's energy, environmental and national security needs by resolving technical, cost, safety, proliferation resistance and security barriers through research, development and demonstration,” the GAIN Web site says.
The idea is to provide the “nuclear community with access to the technical, regulatory and financial support necessary to move new or advanced nuclear reactor designs toward commercialization,” the Web site says.