At the start of the 21st century, most of the electricity consumed in the U.S. and the rest of the world is still being generated by the burning of fossil fuels. Even larger quantities of fossil fuels are being burned to meet other demands imposed by the residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors. In 1999, the U.S. imported 58% of its crude oil and 37% of its total energy supply, and burning fossil fuels in the U.S. resulted in the emission of 11.3 million metric tons of sulfur dioxide, 4.9 million metric tons of nitrogen oxide, and an astounding 1510 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. It is clear that a new energy policy must address these environmental, economic, and energy-security concerns. With recent technological advances, a strong case can be made to include nuclear energy as a major component of a 21st-century energy policy.

The GT-MHR combines a meltdown-proof reactor and advanced gas turbine technology in a power plant with a quantum improvement in thermal efficiency. . . approaching 50%. This efficiency makes possible much lower power costs, without the environmental degradation and resource depletion of burning fossil fuels

Efficiency from thermodynamics

Conventional, low-temperature nuclear plants operate at about 32% thermal efficiency. GT-MHR power plants can achieve thermal efficiencies of close to 50% now, and even higher efficiencies in the future.

• 50% more electrical power from the same number of fissions.

• Dramatically lower high-level radioactive waste per unit of energy – today’s reactors produce 50% more high-level waste than will the GT-MHR.

• Much less thermal discharge to the environment. Plants can use air cooling, which allows for more flexible siting options.