The move represents a step forward for the small modular nuclear reactor industry, but legislative uncertainty over new nuclear facilities in the US remains.

By Marc Campopiano, Lucas Quass, and Shawna Strecker

As part of long-range plans to address climate change, many states have adopted policies to spur the transition to a low-carbon future. Renewable sources like solar, wind, and geothermal energy have garnered considerable attention, but nuclear power is the largest domestic source of carbon-free power. Nuclear power plants have supplied about 20% of total annual US electricity since 1990.[1] Yet, even as the US and many states seek to decarbonize their energy sectors, nuclear reactors in the US are being decommissioned because of age, and new nuclear facilities often face public opposition.