The US nuclear industry has “a solid foundation” for progress, but needs the federal government to follow through on its commitment to fully fund advanced reactor demonstration programmes and organisations like the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) to continue to push for policies that value carbon-free power generation, Bill Gates said.

Gates, whose company TerraPower is developing new reactor technologies, told the Nuclear Energy Assembly, organised by the NEI: “We’re seeing a growing demand for technologies that can enable decarbonisation.

“Many innovative companies are working on bringing new nuclear technologies to market, and policy makers are recognising the need for these technologies, to solve climate change and maintain American leadership in nuclear technology.”

TerraPower announced recently that, in partnership with the Department of Energy, it will build the first Natrium plant at the site of a coal plant in Wyoming that’s slated to be retired.