Viewpoint: Kathryn Huff, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the US DOE

[NNadir]

The Biden administration, while engaged in a reactionary enthusiasm for highly popular but completely ineffective so called "renewable energy," is, I think, quietly aware of reality. That is, at least, how I interpret the remarks of the curiously bureaucratically titled "Principle Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy," Dr. Kathryn Huff.

Dr. Huff, who received her Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, was most recently an Assistant Professor Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she did research on advanced reactor designs and fuel cycle innovations.

This picture accompanies the viewpoint article:



The viewpoint can be found here: Viewpoint: Demonstration AND test reactors: both are necessary for innovation

An excerpt:

"The impacts of climate change are playing out in real-time all over the world, including in the United States. Oppressive heat domes have blanketed most of the country, severe flooding and storms continue to grow in intensity, and forest fires on the West Cost are ripping through acres of dry land with smoke that can been seen all the way on the East Coast.

We simply can't wait any longer and Secretary Granholm has made it crystal clear that we need to deploy all existing and new technologies NOW in order to temper these impacts - that must include innovations in nuclear energy.

The United States is fortunate to have some of the best nuclear innovators on the planet developing new reactor technologies that will expand access to reliable, clean energy all over the world.

Many of these US vendors are planning to demonstrate their reactors within the decade, but in order to innovate faster and improve upon these designs over time, we also need the necessary infrastructure to support their development and, more importantly, their commercial deployment.

This unique challenge is both a sprint and marathon at the same time, which is why we need reactor demonstrations AND a new test reactor to facilitate the future growth of these technologies.

The purpose of a demonstration is to prove that a technology works as intended. New innovations stem from these successful demos to improve the future generations of that product. Think of the latest version of your cell phone or the clever features in next year's new cars.

This same innovation cycle happens in nuclear energy.

Many of the advanced reactors in the demonstration pipeline right now are incorporating innovative fuels, materials, and technologies into modern concepts that build upon more than 50 reactor demonstrations at our national laboratories.

And, while these reactors will soon be ready to demonstrate their enhanced features over today's reactors, they will also continue to evolve and improve over time, which is why it's essential for our nation to expand our R&D infrastructure accordingly.

Since the 1960s, nuclear innovation has been fuelled by world-class nuclear R&D infrastructure at our labs and universities, including many campus Test, Research, and Training Reactors and the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory. ATR is the world's premier thermal neutron test reactor and enables nuclear fuel and materials testing for our military, federal, university, and industry partners.

While ATR and other US Department of Energy (DOE) test reactors will continue to provide this important capability, these thermal neutron reactors are not capable of sustaining neutrons at concentrations and speeds high enough to perform accelerated testing of innovative nuclear technologies. Faster testing will allow scientists to test multiple ideas quickly, identify what works, and make refinements that yield innovations to support the safer and more economical operation of nuclear power plants...

So called "renewable energy," despite the expenditure of trillions of dollars on it, has had absolutely no effect on climate change. The rate of increases in the concentrations of the dangerous fossil fuel waste carbon dioxide in the planetary atmosphere, after half a century of loud cheering for wind and solar, is accelerating, not decelerating.

Minds like Dr. Huff are the last, best chance we have to save what still is left to save, and perhaps even restore some of what has been lost.

I trust you're having a nice weekend.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. At least she isn't the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy. NT

[NNadir]

2. At least she isn't a political hack appointed to a job for which she is unqualified. She's highly...

...qualified.

It's what we need in the DOE, outstanding scientists who know that of which they speak.

[grumpyduck]

3. That's quite a title.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary.

[NNadir]

4. I know, more than a little silly, but unsurprising in large organizations. Irrespective of her...

...title, she strikes me as an impressive scientist.

It's nice to see impressive scientists in Government. That's what competent government looks like.

[grumpyduck]

5. Oh yeah!