TRENDING TOPICS

How is Idaho National Laboratory involved in 5G?   For more than 20 years, INL has conducted research, testing and training on wireless technology and systems, including wireless radios, cellphones and satellite technology. We own, operate and manage a best-in-class external Wireless Test Bed that includes 2G, 3G and 4G technology,...

WHAT ARE SMALL MODULAR REACTORS? A small modular reactor (SMR) is a nuclear fission reactor that features factory-built-and-assembled modules in a variety of configurations and electricity outputs. About 1/10 to 1/4 the size of a traditional nuclear energy plant, SMRs feature compact, simplified designs with advanced safety features. Small modular...

The Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) formally launched the Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP) in 2015 as part of its long-term strategy to reduce carbon emissions and replace aging coal-fired plants with a carbon-free fuel, and small-to-full-sized, flexible power generating source. The project calls for constructing a Small Modular...

Earlier this year, HBO released a five-part drama on the Chernobyl nuclear accident. HBO states the series, “dramatizes the story of the 1986 nuclear accident,” and the sacrifices that were made to save Europe from “unimaginable disaster.”  The dramatic series has sparked questions by the public about whether such an...

WHAT ARE MICROREACTORS? A microreactor is a small nuclear reactor that can operate as part of the electric grid, independently from the electric grid, or as part of a microgrid to generate approximately 1 to 20 megawatts of electricity, and provide heat for industrial applications. Most of these small reactors...

The state of Idaho and the U.S. Department of Energy have reached an agreement for allowing small quantities of spent commercial nuclear fuel to come to Idaho National Laboratory for research. These “research quantities” of irradiated fuel are miniscule compared to the inventory of spent fuel that has historically been...

In FY-18, Congress allocated $35 million to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy to begin developing a conceptual design, cost estimate, and schedule for a fast spectrum test reactor to support advanced nuclear reactor research and development. Another $65 million was set aside in the FY-19 budget....