In order for commercial nuclear power to remain successful in the United States, several things need to occur: advancement of newer technologies and replacement of aging infrastructure with a new generation of safe reactors that are reliable, adaptable to the environment, cost-effective, and energy efficient to meet the nations energy demands into the future. To accomplish this, the United States must be able to identify true risk rather than the perceived risk of civilian nuclear power and have solutions to manage it. Risk management includes reducing the U.S. carbon footprint, which is contributing to global warming. The nation also must find a way to close the loop on nuclear waste through reprocessing and recycling. Furthermore, by reducing their size as compared to existing commercial power plant operations, the United States can locate new plants where energy is most needed. Finally, this thesis demonstrates how the potential consequences of a nuclear plant accident can be reduced to acceptable levels through the use of small modular reactors.
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