Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste Sector: Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources

Sector Overview

Nuclear power accounts for approximately 20 percent of the nation's electrical use, provided by 104 commercial nuclear reactors licensed to operate in the United States. The Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste (Nuclear) Sector includes: nuclear power plants; non-power nuclear reactors used for research, testing, and training; nuclear materials used in medical, industrial, and academic settings; nuclear fuel fabrication facilities; decommissioning reactors; and the transportation, storage, and disposal of nuclear material and waste.

The Nuclear Sector has identified interdependencies with other sectors, including:

• Energy as a supplier to the nation's electrical grid;
• Transportation Systems through the movement of radioactive material;
• Chemical as related to hazardous chemicals at fuel cycle facilities;
• Public Health and Healthcare through nuclear medicine, radiopharmaceuticals, and sterilization of surgical supplies; and
• Government Facilities through federal and state facilities that use radioactive material for various purposes.