Nuclear

White House announces significant measures to support new nuclear plants

A new working group would work to identify opportunities to mitigate cost and schedule overrun risks for large nuclear builds, while the U.S. Army wants to develop a fleet of smaller advanced reactors.
White House announces significant measures to support new nuclear plants
Views of Vogtle Units 3 (left) and 4 near Waynesboro, Georgia, on Monday, July 31, 2023. The reactors were the first two be built in the U.S. in decades. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, file)

The White House has announced significant new steps to support new nuclear power plants in the U.S. as the current administration targets a carbon-free power sector by 2035.

A primary goal is to reduce project risks associated with large nuclear builds. The White House announced the creation of a “Power Project Management and Delivery working group” made up of experts that would help identify opportunities to proactively mitigate sources of cost and schedule overrun risk.

Cost and schedule overruns are a major hurdle for new nuclear projects. Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 in Georgia were the first nuclear reactors built in the U.S. in more than 30 years. The effort, led by Georgia Power, cost billions more and took years longer than originally projected.

Working group members would be made up of federal government entities, including from White House and the Department of Energy (DOE).  The group would also include a range of stakeholders, including project developers, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firms, utilities, investors, labor organizations, academics, and NGOs.

The U.S. Army also notably announced that it would soon release a Request for Information (RFI) to inform a deployment program for advanced reactors that would power multiple U.S. Army sites. 

Small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors could provide defense installations resilient energy for several years amid the threat of physical or cyberattacks, extreme weather, pandemic biothreats, and other emerging challenges, the White House said.

The Army’s efforts would “help inform the regulatory and supply chain pathways that will pave the path for additional deployments of advanced nuclear technology” for federal installations and other critical infrastructure.

Nuclear power has seen increased support in recent years (in the U.S. and elsewhere) for its ability to supply uninterrupted carbon-free power in the face of decarbonization goals and soaring electricity demand.

Recent policy has thrown large, conventional reactors a lifeline. For example, the Diablo Canyon plant in California is leveraging DOE’s Civil Nuclear Credit program to fund the plant’s life extension. In Michigan, the Palisades plant would be the first U.S. nuclear facility to restart after shutting down. Holtec plans to reopen Palisades and is supported by a $1.5 billion conditional loan commitment from DOE.

A production tax credit from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) offers existing nuclear plants support to continue operating.

There are also more than three dozen working designs for small modular reactors and microreactors, some of which have goals to be commercially operable by 2030. Proponents say these smaller advanced reactors offer cheaper and faster build times. However, this promise has yet to be fully tested.

Overall though, Wednesday’s announcement from the White House is yet another example of positive momentum for the industry.

“The U.S. government will continue to take action to enable first movers to deploy advanced and innovative technologies,” the administration said.

Nuclear power represented 19% of the total electricity produced in the U.S. in 2023.