U s nuclear power storage

Can a nuclear power plant store spent fuel?

"Storage of spent nuclear fuel lies at the heart of the commission's expertise and congressionally assigned role, and the commission has clear power to issue licenses for temporary storage of spent fuel at the site of a nuclear reactor," they wrote.

How is spent nuclear fuel stored?

There are two acceptable methods for storing spent nuclear fuel after it is removed from the reactor core: Spent Fuel Pools and dry storage systems. Currently, most spent fuel is safely stored in specially designed pools at individual reactor sites around the country. Dry storage systems can be used when approaching pool capacity limits.

Where should nuclear waste be stored?

The project was halted during the Obama administration. The issue of where to store the growing amount of spent fuel remains. Roughly 91,000 metric tons of nuclear waste from commercial power plants are currently in private storage, both at or away from nuclear reactor sites, according to the U.S. government.

What are the two acceptable storage methods for spent nuclear fuel?

There are two acceptable storage methods for spent nuclear fuel: Spent Fuel Pools and dry storage systems. Currently, most spent nuclear fuel is safely stored in specially designed pools at individual reactor sites around the country. Licensees may use dry storage systems when approaching their pool capacity limit.

How many tons of nuclear fuel will a new facility store?

The facility would be licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and initially built to store around 15,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel, with options to expand—taking a big step forward in fulfilling the Department’s responsibility to take ownership of the fuel.

Is there a solution to America's growing nuclear waste stockpile?

Like a radioactive hot potato, a solution to America's growing stockpile of nuclear waste keeps getting passed around. The issue lands before the Supreme Court on Wednesday in a dispute from Texas over the federal government's authority to allow temporary storage of spent nuclear fuel at privately owned facilities far from reactors.