Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy generates a significant amount of low-carbon electricity across the United States. In 2021, that amount accounted for 20% of all electricity generation in the United States. It is seen as a reliable baseload energy source that can support decarbonization efforts and provide long-term workforce opportunities.  Nuclear reactors are located in 28 states and advanced nuclear reactor projects are being explored in multiple locations including Wyoming and Washington. The Wyoming advanced reactor project will be led by TerraPower and sited near a retiring coal plant. In Washington, the advanced reactor will be located near an existing large-scale nuclear plant and developed by X-Energy. These projects are both being funded through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.

Advanced nuclear reactors are an innovative technology with advanced safety measures and efficient and streamlined designs. State Energy Offices are exploring ways to incorporate advanced nuclear reactors into their programs and policies and better understand the intersections with other key issues such as integration of renewable energy, hydrogen production and just energy transitions. 

  • Advanced Nuclear First Movers Initiative

    +

    The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) Advanced Nuclear First Mover Initiative will support a leadership group of states committed to accelerating advanced nuclear projects and bring more power to the electric grid for reliability, sustainability, and economic growth.

    The Initiative, directed by ten State Energy Offices, is led by the five state co-chairs New York, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Wyoming and the participating states Louisiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. These states have committed to accelerating advanced nuclear projects by exploring opportunities to reduce financial and technology risks, devising supportive market adoption policies, defining supply chain needs, streamlining federal permitting, developing coordinated procurement options, exploring state-federal-private financing structures, and creating public-private partnerships. 

    State and private sector participants will join forces through the Initiative, informed by the nation’s leading nuclear experts and NASEO. NASEO will collaborate closely with key partners and technical experts. This strategic collaboration will be critical to advancing new projects across a geographically diverse group of states.  

    For more information, please reach out to Kelsey Jones at kjones@naseo.org.

  • Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative

    +

    The NASEO-NARUC Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative (ANSC) convenes state utility regulators, State Energy Officials, and invited experts to exchange questions, needs, and challenges relating to the planning and deployment of new advanced nuclear generation. ANSC participants will have the opportunity to share information on the regulatory, policy, and programmatic steps needed to facilitate the deployment of advanced nuclear and work with peers across different states. State Energy Officials interested in participating should reach out to Kelsey Jones (kjones@naseo.org) for more information.

    NASEO-NARUC Advanced Nuclear State Action Tracker

    The Advanced Nuclear State Action tracker provides an overview of state activities that may impact states' advanced nuclear efforts (advanced nuclear is defined as Gen III+ and Gen IV technologies). This tracker focuses on highlighting advanced nuclear activities and partnerships involving state government entities (i.e., State Public Utility Commissions, State Energy Offices, state legislatures, and Governor's Offices). The Advanced Nuclear State Action Tracker covers state actions related to advanced nuclear from 2013 - present, and will include relevant Executive Orders, Policies and Programs, and state legislation that has passed into law.

    State Energy Office Co-Chairs

    • Molly Cripps, Director, Office of Energy Programs, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
    • Alyse Peterson, Senior Advisor, New York State Energy Research & Development Authority

    State Energy Office Participants

    • Alaska Energy Authority
    • Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
    • Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control - Division of Climate, Coastal, and Energy
    • Idaho Office of Energy and Mineral Resources
    • Indiana Office of Energy Development
    • Iowa Economic Development Authority
    • Kentucky Office of Energy Policy
    • Louisiana Department of Natural Resources – State Energy Office
    • Maryland Energy Administration
    • Missouri Department of Natural Resources Division of Energy
    • Montana Department of Environmental Quality
    • New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
    • North Dakota Department of Commerce
    • Ohio Department of Development 
    • Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
    • South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff
    • Tennessee Office of Energy Programs
    • Utah Office of Energy Development
    • Virginia Department of Energy
    • Wyoming Energy Authority

    Resources from Past Events

    Briefing on Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Advanced Nuclear Report (June 2023)

    Webinar: Facilitating Equitable Community Engagement to Support the Deployment of Advanced Nuclear (August 2023)

    Webinar: Evaluating Nuclear Waste Considerations for Advanced Nuclear Deployment (September 2023)

  • Resources

    +

  • Publications

    +

    NASEO and NARUC Release Report on Coal to Nuclear Repowering for State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions

    In April 2024, the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) released a joint report on Coal to Nuclear Repowering: Considerations for State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions. Closures of coal power plants are expected to continue as the long-term economic viability of many of these facilities diminishes and states work to meet federal and state environmental, economic development, and climate goals. States are exploring opportunities to use the infrastructure and existing workforce located at the sites of retiring or retired coal power plants to potentially site small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). This report highlights the benefits and challenges associated with the coal to nuclear repowering process, with a particular focus on the policy, programmatic, and regulatory considerations of relevance to states. This report was made possible with support from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy and was developed in close coordination with the NARUC-NASEO Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative (ANSC), an effort comprised of 31 State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions across the country with a focus on peer sharing and information exchange on facilitating the deployment of advanced nuclear. To view the complete report, click here and for more information on the ANSC and how to get involved click here.