Nuclear Energy Policy Initiative

In this report, “The imperative of the Versatile Test Reactor for Nuclear Innovation,” authors Jackie Toth and Khalil Ryan argue that the US will lose its competitive edge against adversaries (especially Russia) if it lacks a fully realized nuclear energy innovation ecosystem, of which the VTR is a crucial component.

Nuclear energy is poised to play a significant role in the secure decarbonization of the entire energy sector, from electricity to industrial uses. Its versatility, reliability, and dispatchability enables it to underpin the emissions-free economy of the future, especially in the later stages of the energy transition. As advanced technologies enter the fray alongside existing ones, nuclear power’s importance in countries like the United States and Japan, in addition to the challenges it faces and the solutions needed to tackle them, will become apparent.