Nuclear Energy Leadership Act a Big Step for Advanced Nuclear Last week, a bipartisan group of senators re-introduced the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (NELA), which provides a shot in the arm for entrepreneurs working on advanced nuclear technologies. With luck, it will become law.



The consensus in favor of protecting existing nuclear plants has only grown in recent years, but there's still skepticism around the possibility of new, advanced designs. But our research shows it's possible with smarter innovation policy. NELA is exactly that: it kickstarts several programs that aim to get advanced nuclear built before 2025.



Of course, while these programs would go a long way in getting advanced nuclear ready for market, we must also ensure the reverse is true: that the market will be ready for advanced nuclear. For the lowest-carbon options to succeed, we must focus on making them cheaper than the higher-carbon status quo.



With a new Congress hungry for progress on climate change, we're optimistic about the future of clean energy. What's included in NELA, and thoughts from Jessica Lovering, our Director of Energy. Smart innovation policy for a clean energy future >>> It's easier to get excited about advanced nuclear when we can tangibly envision it. We love looking at Nuclear Reimagined, a visual storytelling project from Third Way and Gensler. Check out more renderings like the one above here. Jessica Lovering on fostering innovation Breakthrough has long been a proponent of the government's role in fostering innovation, so we were excited to see the re-introduction of the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act in the Senate last week. The bill offers broad support to private companies working to commercialize innovative nuclear designs, but will ultimately require complementary legislation that levels the playing field and spurs demand for nuclear in electricity markets. See our recent reports on Microreactors and Clean Energy Standards for what that should look like. –Jessica The Growing Civil Society Coalition for Nuclear Energy To get serious about climate change, we need to radically transform how we get our energy. Ted Nordhaus and Jessica Lovering explain.