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This methodology document is a companion to NIA’s comments on the TVA Draft Integrated Resource Plan. To view this methodology document, click the "Download" button below.

To view NIA's original comments to TVA's Draft Integrated Resource Plan, click the following link: Comments on Tennessee Valley Authority's 2025 Draft Integrated Resource Plan

NIA submitted comments on Tennessee Valley Authority’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan. In these comments, we recommend using updated and publicly available costs, adjusting the availability and construction timeline of SMRs and Generation IV reactors. We also propose alternative timelines and costs that we feel should be used and the justifications for doing so. To view these comments, click the "Download" button below. 

These comments were informed by NIA's review of TVA's methodology. This methodology review can be found in a companion document to NIA's comments. To view this companion document, click the following link: Companion Document - Methodology Review of the TVA Integrated Resource Planning Process 

This brief summary presents the impact of the Department of Energy’s Loan Program Office (LPO) in the context of nuclear commercialization. By strategically funding projects such as the Vogtle plant project and the Holtec-Palisades nuclear restart, the LPO funding helps bridge early-stage funding gaps and catalyzes private investment. The summary discusses how the LPO's strategic financing model leverages limited federal appropriations to advance nuclear energy development and improve national and energy security.  

Click here to read the full report.  

Nuclear energy is an important technology for U.S. energy security and competitiveness, and the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office (LPO) is essential to nuclear energy’s success. By investing in early-stage projects, the LPO accelerates technological advancement, attracts private capital, and ensures U.S. leadership in meeting rapidly growing global energy demand, enhancing our economic competitiveness, geopolitical influence and national security.  

The U.S. Department of Energy’s LPO plays the crucial role of financing early mover projects to help bridge the gap between demonstrations and projects financeable with private capital. 

This brief, by Dr. James Richards, discusses how the LPO's strategic financing model leverages limited federal appropriations to advance nuclear energy development and improve national and energy security. 

Click here to read the report summary.  

This brief discusses the critical need to increase domestic enrichment capacity to enable the production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) and reduce U.S. dependency on international entities in the nuclear fuel supply chain. It discusses the funding Congress has provided to the Department of Energy (DOE) to accomplish this goal, and the need for DOE to accelerate its efforts to partner with private industry and implement their HALEU availability program.

In this introduction to Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technology, NIA's Dr. Patrick White provides a deep dive into the technical aspects of reactor concepts by discussing main takeaways, reactor characteristics that can help differentiate between advantages and challenges of advanced reactor technologies by examining the different types of designs. 

on January 9, NIA's Judi Greenwald participated in U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur and Climate Governance Malaysia's webinar "Where Does Nuclear Energy Fit in the Energy Transition?" This session highlighted breakthrough innovations in reactor designs, including small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced fission systems, emphasizing their potential for enhanced safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

Click here to watch part 1

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This NIA paper by Research Director Dr. Patrick White describes progress by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff to develop the proposed 10 CFR Part 53 regulatory framework, how the NRC staff and the Commission have incorporated the concept of risk metrics in the proposed rule, the history of risk metrics used by the NRC as a part of licensing activities, the proposed use of a comprehensive risk metric to support technology-inclusive, risk-informed and performance-based (TI-RIPB) regulation in Part 53, and key considerations for the development and implementation of comprehensive risk metric requirements and guidance for NRC staff and prospective applicants. Derivations for the numerical values for the existing NRC’s risk metrics (quantitative health objectives and light water reactor surrogate risk objectives) are provided to highlight significant conservatisms and assumptions in the existing surrogate risk objectives.

This brief authored by NIA Executive Director Judi Greenwald connects the role of advanced nuclear energy in meeting climate and energy security goals with the urgent need for NRC reform to enable advanced nuclear energy. It outlines the short-, medium- and long-term NRC reforms that are necessary to achieve that goal. It provides recommendations for action by Congress and the NRC and highlights several of NIA's recommendations for improving licensing efficiency. NIA developed this brief to serve as a guide for policymakers, the NRC itself, and key stakeholders in considering and then taking action to ensure the NRC can "become an agile, modern, risk-informed, and performance-based regulator to successfully meet this moment."

This summary for policymakers provides the high-level takeaways and insights from the NIA report "From Reactors to Repositories: Disposal Pathways for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Waste" which characterizes the various waste streams that are generated by advanced nuclear reactors and examines both interim storage and permanent disposal pathways.

To view the full report, click here. To view the webinar that was hosted for the release of this event, click here.