Will a New Nuclear Reactor Power the United States Back to Energy Independence? HDNet's 'Dan Rather Reports' Investigates

DALLAS, Feb. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Tomorrow night's "Dan Rather Reports" presents a surprising look at nuclear power and how new developments in the field have created cleaner, more efficient reactors that could create a virtual "nuclear renaissance."  But, the price tag for building these new reactors may be more than the U.S. Department of Energy is ready for.  

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Although the United States led the way in the development of nuclear energy back in the 1950s, nuclear power now conjures up memories of the disasters at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.  For thirty years, not a single new nuclear power plant was started in the U.S.  

On Tuesday's program, Rather speaks to Eric Loewen, a nuclear scientist at GE-Hitachi in charge of advanced reactor design.  Loewen and his team have developed a new nuclear reactor called PRISM that is actually able to recycle dangerous nuclear waste to create its own fuel.

"So we can take used nuclear fuel.  There's 53,000 metric tons around the country at different nuclear power plants," Loewen explained to Rather.  "That's what you could use for fuel for this PRISM reactor."

So, what is the hold up on moving forward with the PRISM?  So far, it only exists on paper, on blueprints in Loewen's office.  Loewen says the U.S. Department of Energy needs to make this new (and possibly expensive technology) a priority in a recycling budget that is only set at $40 million.

Will the U.S. be able to ride this new nuclear technology back to the lead in energy production, or will other countries beat us to the punch?

"Dan Rather Reports: Power Play" premieres on HDNet, Tuesday, March 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET with an encore at 11:00 p.m. ET.

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