Streamlining permitting paves way for advanced reactor innovation DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory By Kelsey Adkisson, PNNL Whether it is electric cars or coffeemakers, the electrons in the "electric" must come from somewhere. Roughly 20% of U.S. energy comes from nuclear power. This number is expected to rise to meet carbon-free power demands, particularly in fossil-fuel-dependent areas where alternatives like hydropower, wind, or solar aren't an option or need a boost because they tend to be intermittent. Companies are developing smaller and safer reactor technology to meet rising energy demands. Long before an excavator breaks ground to construct a new nuclear reactor, however, there's a multi-million-dollar licensing process to evaluate new designs. This process can take nearly half a decade to navigate.