INL Director John Wagner told an interim committee of Idaho legislators that recent federal actions will accelerate nuclear energy projects nationwide, with Idaho positioned at the center of that effort. Wagner noted that the lab, considered the nation’s premier nuclear research facility, is now moving forward with building and permitting new reactors for the first time in 50 years.
Four executive orders issued in May direct efforts to reinvigorate the nuclear industry. The measures call for:
- Expanding the U.S. nuclear industrial base
- Reforming nuclear reactor testing
- Deploying advanced nuclear technology for national security
- Streamlining Nuclear Regulatory Commission processes
Wagner said the initiatives could enable construction of up to 10 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity by the end of the decade.
Idaho National Laboratory is one of 17 U.S. Department of Energy national labs and serves as the country’s primary hub for nuclear energy research and development. Recent tours and briefings for state legislators have highlighted the lab’s expanded operations, including advanced fuel testing and reactor development.
The planned projects mark a major shift for the U.S. nuclear sector, which has seen limited new reactor construction over the past three decades.
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