Biden administration also unveils plans for advanced reactors at army bases
The White House has announced it is setting up a working group on the risks associated with new build as it plans to “reestablish US leadership” in the nuclear power industry and jump-start a new generation of reactors that can be built more quickly and on budget.
The group will draw on experts from across the nuclear and megaproject construction industry to help identify opportunities to mitigate sources of cost and schedule overrun risk for new reactors.
The White House said in a statement the group will gather views on how to help further the Biden administration’s goal of delivering an efficient and cost-effective deployment of clean, reliable nuclear energy and ensuring that “learnings translate to cost savings for future construction and deployment”.
The statement said the administration recognises the importance of both the existing US nuclear fleet and continued build out of large nuclear power plants and is taking steps to mitigate project risks associated with large nuclear builds and position US industry to support an aggressive deployment target.
It said the Biden administration wants to bring more federal support to nuclear megaprojects and the deployment of small-scale reactors.
Project risk related to financing and the large amount of up-front capital needed are reasons often cited for the lack of new nuclear in recent decades in the US.
Only two commercial plants have been built since 2016, at Vogtle in Georgia, a project which saw a number of delays and cost overruns.
“Alongside renewable power sources like wind and solar, a new generation of nuclear reactors is now capturing the attention of a wide range of stakeholders for nuclear energy’s ability to produce clean, reliable energy and meet the needs of a fast-growing economy, driven by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and manufacturing boom,” the White House said.
“The Administration recognizes that decarbonizing our power system, which accounts for a quarter of all the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, represents a pivotal challenge requiring all the expertise and ingenuity our nation can deliver,” it added.
The White House also revealed plans for a deployment programme for advanced nuclear reactors, including modular- and micro-reactors, to power “multiple” US Army bases.
The White House said: “Small modular nuclear reactors and microreactors can provide defense installations resilient energy for several years amid the threat of physical or cyberattacks, extreme weather, pandemic biothreats, and other emerging challenges that can all disrupt commercial energy networks.”
It confirmed that the United States Army will soon release a request for information related to a deployment programme for advanced reactors to power multiple army sites in the US.
