Lisa Murkowski: The case for advanced nuclear reactors

It was a warm summer night in 1955 when the lights turned on in Arco, Idaho — the first successful use of peaceful nuclear power. From this groundbreaking moment, our nation became the global industry leader — building impressive plants across the country and around the world while setting international standards for safety, security, and nonproliferation.

As recently as a few years ago, a total of 104 nuclear reactors were safely generating clean electricity in the United States, with plans for many more on the horizon. Today, however, we face a very different situation. Our domestic fleet is not growing, but shrinking.