Nuclear Energy

Help us improve the Sandia Energy website Take this 2-minute survey for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card and help us improve this website.

Nuclear Energy

Ensuring clean energy and environmental stability for national security, Sandia’s Nuclear Energy teams provide research and analysis to help ensure safe, secure, viable, and sustainable solutions to nuclear energy challenges, ranging from power generation to space launch safety to the management of spent nuclear fuel.

Sandia develops innovative technologies and methodologies through scientific analyses and experiments to enhance the safety of the nuclear fuel cycle and the supporting infrastructure. We provide a scientific basis to support Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing and regulatory decisions and advance the technical foundation for severe accident analysis/management and high consequence risk characterization of light water and advanced nuclear power systems. In addition, we provide and advance the scientific and technical basis to defend energy systems from cyber and physical threats.

Sandia leverages over 45 years of experience informing policy decisions and leading in the development, integration, and implementation of technically safe, viable, and sustainable solutions to nuclear energy challenges, ranging from power generation to the management of spent nuclear fuel.

graphic depicting the 11 phases of the Sandia Holistic Advanced Reactor Capabilities Center

Sandia’s Holistic Advanced Reactor Capabilities Center (SHARCC) capitalizes on our breadth and depth of experience and capabilities in the Nuclear Energy sector. The vision of SHARCC is to ensure that nuclear energy can provide safe, secure, resilient, and reliable carbon neutral electricity generation for our nation and the world by enabling deployment and long-term operation of multiple generations of advanced nuclear energy systems. Learn more about SHARCC’s foundational capabilities and how we are leveraging coordinated leadership to effectively meet national needs by visiting the Holistic Advanced Reactor Capabilities Center page.

Research Focus Areas

Email Updates

Sign up for Nuclear Energy updates or to access your subscriber preferences.

Recent News

Sandia’s extensive experience in geologic disposal of nuclear waste is making global impacts. Sandia is providing...

Engineer employs computer code to mitigate climate change and nuclear energy risks Dave Luxat is the...

Cody Corbin spreads oxygen sensitive material inside two concentric cylinders at Sandia National Labs on Nov....

“I wanted to be an archaeologist when I was young. I didn’t get too far into...

Sandia partners with former employee to get tech on the market LIVERMORE, Calif. — Blueshift Optics,...

“I was the only farm worker who had a calculus book in his car,” Sal Rodriguez...

Nuclear power is a significant source of steady carbon-neutral electricity, and advanced reactors can add more...

 Climate change can alter extreme weather events, and these events have the potential to strain, disrupt or...

A team of Sandia National Laboratories researchers working on the reactor at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility is...

Sylvia Saltzstein, Sandia’s Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies Senior Manager, will travel to Japan to participate in...

The Society of Women Engineers has bestowed awards on three Sandia National Laboratories employees. Senior scientist...

Gray and white flecks skitter erratically on a computer screen. A towering microscope looms over a...

First test of cutting-edge Brayton cycle technology put power into local grid For the first time,...

Sandia software supports assessment of future spent nuclear fuel disposal Researchers from Sandia National Laboratories and...

Sandia expands software to support regulators’ evaluation of next-generation reactors Sandia National Laboratories recently updated the...

Resources

Scientific Publications

Access journal articles, technical reports, presentations, books, and multimedia.

Search publications

Facilities

Learn more about our state-of-the-art facilities.

Explore facilities

People

Discover and contact experts through the Earth, Energy, and Environmental Science directory.

Browse and locate an expert 

Success Stories

Discover and browse success stories through the Lab Partnering Service.

Browse success stories 

Tools

Browse select computational codes, data sets, models, software, tools, and toolkits.

View tools

Videos
Nuclear Energy Video Playlist
Sandia’s supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) Brayton Cycle Full Screen

Work with Us

We partner with large and small businesses, universities, and government agencies. With multiple agreement types to select from, partners can access world-class science, engineering, experts, and infrastructure.

Contact

To contact a member of the Nuclear Energy team at Sandia, please email ne@sandia.gov.