The U.S. Department of Energy announced $150 million for infrastructure improvements at Idaho National Laboratory aimed at enhancing nuclear research and development will support the U.S. leading position in the industry.
The money from the Inflation Reduction Act, signed by President Joe Biden in August, will support almost a dozen projects at the Idaho laboratory's Advanced Test Reactor and Materials Fuels Complex, according to an Oct. 25 news release.
"More than 300 commercial reactors operating around the world today can trace their roots back to Idaho National Laboratory, and these infrastructure investments allow America to continue leading the world in groundbreaking nuclear energy research and development," Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said in the release. "Thanks to President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, DOE is taking critical steps to strengthen domestic nuclear development and deployment – helping ensure the United States is on track to reach a clean energy future."
Idaho National Laboratory's Advanced Test Reactor and Materials Fuels Complex have been operational for more than half a century and are instrumental in advancing nuclear technologies for federal agencies, industry and international partnerships, the release reported. The Advanced Test Reactor is the world's largest nuclear research reactor.
Nuclear energy provides almost a fifth of the country's electricity and accounts for half of all domestic clean energy generation, which makes "it a critical tool to reaching President Biden's goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035," the news release said.
The funding is expected to accelerate the replacement of aging plant infrastructure systems at the Advanced Test Reactor and Materials Fuels Complex, infrastructure upgrades at both facilities expected to be completed in the next four to five years. Projects include water and electrical distribution systems improvements, process control systems work and roof replacements, all intended to improve facility reliability and operability, the release reported.
"@ENERGY announced $150 M for infrastructure improvements @INL to boost nuclear research and development," Idaho National Lab said in an Oct. 25 post on Twitter. "The funding will support nearly a dozen projects at the lab – a key component in a U.S. effort to revamp the nation's nuclear power industry."
