BackgroundIn support of Governor Dunleavy's
Office of Energy Innovation and in response to the US Air Force Microreactor Pilot Program, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is developing draft microreactor siting permit regulations authorized under Alaska Statute (AS) 18.45.
DEC is seeking public input
before finalizing draft regulations. There are no draft regulations to review at this time. Draft regulations will be published at a later time and will be subject to the formal public comment process as outlined in
AS 44.62.
Public CommentsYou can submit comments for this scoping project via this site
https://eh.alaskadec.commentinput.com/?id=9Fr4h until 11:59 pm on
Friday, January 13, 2023.DEC's RoleDEC's statutory authority over nuclear facilities is outlined in AS 18.45. Applicants are required to obtain a siting permit from DEC, which includes approval by the municipality/borough with local jurisdiction (or the legislature if the site is in an unorganized borough).
DEC's role will be solely in the siting of a microreactor facility. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will address licensing, construction, operation, and safety and security of the facility.
What is a Microreactor?A microreactor is a small nuclear reactor that produces from roughly 1 to 50 megawatts that can operate independently from the electric grid. Most of these small reactors are factory assembled, with the reactor core transported to the site as a pre-fueled and sealed module that acts as a nuclear "battery", providing energy without the need for refueling for up to a decade.
Detailed information is available on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
Microreactor website and on their
Microreactor FAQs page.US Air Force Proposed PilotThe US Air Force is developing a nuclear microreactor pilot project with anticipated completion in 2027.