Sarah Cole, an undergraduate in the AML, was sponsored by the American Nuclear Society to participate in the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) program in Washington, D.C. for 10 weeks. The internship challenges engineering students from their respective professional societies to investigate a societal issue, analyze it through the lens of science and engineering, and recommend a policy solution. Sarah chose to investigate the High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU) supply chain, the fuel needed for the upcoming advanced reactor fleet. She interviewed key stakeholders across the nuclear industry, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy, Capitol Hill insiders (including Idaho Senator Risch), and Nuclear Energy Institute. Sarah’s paper is published electronically in the Journal of Engineering and Public Policy, and she presented her final policy recommendations in the Rayburn House of Representatives Office Building on Capitol Hill for professional society representatives.
Sarah’s recommendations included passing the Nuclear Fuel Security Act, recovering uranium from research reactor spent nuclear fuel, downblending excess defense stockpiles, and establishing a federal uranium “bank” program to stimulate the buying and selling of HALEU. Overall, these recommendations aim to accelerate the availability of HALEU to ensure the readiness of the advanced reactor fleet.
The American Nuclear Society wrote an article about Sarah’s internship here. She will present this project at the American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C. in November as well.
