Nuclear Energy
Advancing nuclear power
for a reliable, safe,
and secure energy future
PNNL led the environmental review for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission operating license for the Watts Bar Nuclear Unit 2 in Tennessee. The review evaluated a full scope of areas, ranging from aquatic ecology to radiological impacts to cultural resources to noise. The NRC approved the Tennessee Valley Authority's application for facility operating license for a second light-water nuclear reactor. Read more here.
Nuclear energy comes from splitting atoms to produce heat that can be used to generate electricity. As an example, most nuclear reactors operating today heat water and produce steam that then is used to turn a turbine to generate electricity. Nuclear energy protects air quality by producing massive amounts of carbon-free electricity.
The first commercial nuclear power stations started operation in the late 1950s, and nuclear plants now are operational in many countries worldwide, with nuclear energy powering communities in many U.S. states. Nuclear energy can meet the growing need to increase generating capacity without the need for using carbon-emitting fossil fuel units. The federal government estimates use of carbon-free nuclear energy in America avoids some 650 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. Nuclear energy also contributes to many non-electric applications, ranging from the medical field to space exploration.
Considering its many contributions to society, continuing research focused on nuclear energy is critical to further inform actions involving its use, gather evidence for theories, and contribute to developing existing nuclear energy knowledge.
National research is primarily focused on maintaining the existing fleet of nuclear reactors, developing new advanced reactor technologies, and improving the nuclear fuel cycle to increase sustainability of our energy supply and strengthen the U.S. economy.
At PNNL, experts use decades of expertise to facilitate the design of advanced reactors, extend the lives of the existing nuclear reactor fleet, help license new nuclear power plants or relicense existing plants, and develop processes for recycling, safe storage, transportation, and disposal of used nuclear fuel.
PNNL has a long heritage of supporting the nation’s nuclear energy programs. A combination of science and technology expertise, a unique Hanford history, and highly equipped and modern facilities enable laboratory experts to bring substantial resources to helping solve the nation's nuclear energy challenges. For example, PNNL led the International Nuclear Safety Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy—enhancing the safety of reactors in former Soviet states. Staff also led research and development activities for the Fast Flux Test Facility sodium-cooled fast reactor. PNNL experts also served as the waste form qualification authority for the Yucca Mountain Project and the Materials Characterization Center.
Staff expertise and specialized facilities—such as the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory, a Hazard Category 2 nuclear facility—are substantial assets to the federal government and the commercial nuclear sector.
