Report
Nuclear
Nuclear Notes
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Our position
Nuclear energy can deliver abundant, reliable, zero-carbon power. But the United States has lost the ability to build it quickly, repeatedly, and at scale. Now, rising electricity demand, growing public support, bipartisan political backing, and a once-in-a-generation overhaul of commercial nuclear regulation have created an enormous opportunity to deploy new reactors. Building a nuclear-powered world will require financeable projects, a regulator that can license safely, on time, and at scale, a nuclear community willing to move beyond the status quo, and an industry capable of turning today’s momentum into sustained deployment.
Data and tools
See All-
Tool
NRC Rulemaking Tracker
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Tool
Mapping America's Nuclear Potential
Evaluating Deployment, Investment, and Impact in America's Clean Energy Future
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Tool
Guide to NRC Application Data Requirements for State Implementers
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Three pieces the team says to read first
Nuclear work
Research, analysis and everything we have put on the record: comments, testimony, statements, letters and endorsements.
Showing 7–12 of 285
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Analysis
Closing the Gap on Greater-Than-Class-C Waste
A risk-informed disposal pathway is long overdue, but defense-in-depth needs a way to find that a barrier isn't doing any work
· PJ Seel, Adam Stein
Analysis
Building a More Coherent Regulatory Framework
BTI comments on the NRC’s sweeping reforms to licensing, construction, safety oversight, and siting
· Yue "Joy" Jiang, Spencer Toohill
Analysis
Things that Apparently Cause Cancer
What does this methodology measure anyway?
· Deric Tilson
Analysis
Modernizing NRC Environmental Review Without Overcorrecting
Faster and more proportionate environmental reviews should not come at the expense of clear scope, public participation, or legal durability
· Spencer Toohill, Yue "Joy" Jiang
Statement
The NRC Approves Construction Permit for TVA’s Clinch River Small Modular Reactor
14-month review marks second major new-reactor construction approval in 2026
· Adam Stein
Analysis
America Chose Its Nuclear Waste Site on a Guess About Cost, not Safety
The U.S. Shouldn’t Make the Same Mistake Twice
· Adam Stein
7–12 of 285
Who to talk to
Adam Stein
Director, Nuclear Energy Innovation Email
Latest: NRC Issues Construction Permit for X-energy's Advanced Reactor Project in Texas
Spencer Toohill
Chief of Staff for Nuclear Energy Innovation Email
Latest: Making Practicability the Standard for Uranium Groundwater Restoration
Questions
Should we just build as many large reactors as possible?
Where large reactors make sense, we should build them. But the future nuclear fleet will likely include a mix of large reactors, small reactors, and advanced designs suited to different customers, sites, and markets.
Do we have a solution to deal with nuclear waste?
Yes. Spent nuclear fuel can be stored safely today, and deep geologic disposal is a well-understood long-term solution. Several countries recycle spent fuel. The U.S. problem is primarily one of policy and implementation, not a lack of technical options.
Isn’t nuclear too expensive compared with wind and solar?
While the upfront costs of new nuclear generation are higher than wind and solar, nuclear reactors operate for decades, providing continuous baseload power and reducing the long-term system costs and consumer bills.
Is nuclear power safe?
Yes. In fact nuclear energy is the safest energy source. Its record reflects both the rarity of serious accidents and the extraordinarily small health impacts of producing nuclear electricity compared with other major energy sources.