ARCO - From the beginning of nuclear energy, the discovery that atomic power is possible, to the present, three generations of nuclear reactors have been researched and developed at the Idaho National Laboratory.

In 1951, electricity was generated from atomic energy lighting four simple light bulbs. A discovery that would create an infinite supply of power for hundreds of years.

"EBR-1 was a very small reactor, but it was the first to put electricity into the grid, which was distributed to the consumers in Idaho," says Kemal Pasamehmetoglu, INL Director of Nuclear Fuels and Materials.

"That was the most electricity a reactor had generated any where in the world at that point," says Don Miley, INL Tour Director.

A major milestone in history, the beginning of a peaceful atomic era. But along with everything else, technology quickly advanced and EBR-1 shut down in 1963, only to be followed by its big brother EBR-II, the second generation for advanced testing.

"After that a lot of commercial reactors were built in the United States, they are all light water reactors," says Pasamehmetoglu.

These new reactors brings us the Generation three, using water to cool Uranium unlike the breeder reactors that were cooled with liquid metal.

"It's very attractive today because it's cooled by water which is an abundant resource," says Dr. Ronaldo Szilard, INL Director of Science and Engineering.

Currently 20 percent of the United States electricity is generated from the one-hundred and four active reactors.

"Most of them are operating at 90 percent or higher efficiency," says Pasamehmetoglu.

But there is still a need to reduce green house emissions, and technology has advanced far beyond liquid metal and water cooling. Generation IV is developed to cool through gas.

"If we can go to hire temperatures we can increase the reactors efficiency, conversion efficiency to electricity," says Pasamehmetoglu.

Currently the U.S. has teamed up with countries around the world to further maximize nuclear potential. Due to political and economic issues, a reactor hasn't been built in over 30 years. There are currently over 2-thousand applications to build new reactors in the U.S., but without public support and money, nuclear testing may be at a stand still.

"We can start doing it tomorrow. We have the technology, the technology is out there," says Pasamehmetoglu.

The research will never stop and advances will continue to be made at the INL and across the world, when the technology will be developed, only time will tell.

Nuclear power is a controversial topic that has many fearful of its capabilities.
At some point the United States will have to decided which direction to go in to reduce green house emissions.
Friday night at ten, tune in for the final chapter on nuclear energy.