Americans are worried about the price and supply of fossil fuels.
Fossil Fuel Preservation
The nation's reliance on fossil fuels to energize an expanding economy is expected to increase over the next two decades. The high temperature gas-cooled reactor can be used for industrial applications, allowing preservation of fossil fuel resources.
According to the Department of Energy, fossil fuels (oil, coal and natural gas) provide over 85 percent of the energy consumed in the United States, nearly two-thirds of our electricity and nearly all of our transportation fuels.1 In the U.S., 7.7 million households rely on fuel oil, produced from fossil fuels, to warm their homes. About 5.3 million households. or roughly 69 percent, live in the Northeast region of the country. These Americans are especially vulnerable to fuel disruptions and price increases.2
The industrial advantages of the high temperature gas-cooled reactor and other nuclear technology over conventional fossil fuels are a predictable fuel supply for the next century and a significant reduction of carbon emissions. With current fossil fuel prices and the anticipated increased attention and controls applied to carbon emissions, the high temperature gas-cooled reactor appears to be an attractive alternative to burning fossil fuels to create process heat for industry.