The U.S. Department of Energy will develop an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to study the impacts of building a Versatile Test Reactor (“fast reactors”). This reactor will test future fuels and materials that the industry is designing for advanced civilian nuclear power reactors to provide large amounts of electricity for the nation’s power grid.
Two locations currently under consideration for the reactor are Idaho National Laboratory in eastern Idaho, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in eastern Tennessee. Additionally, the Idaho National Laboratory and the Savannah River Site are two locations under consideration for the fabrication of the fuel needed to run the reactor.
Image credit: Department of Energy