According to the NRC, there are currently 104 nuclear reactors operating in the U.S. that generate approximately 20% of our electricity. However, these 104 reactors are presently scheduled for decommissioning as follows: 30% before 2020, 70% before 2030 and the rest by 2044! According to the NRC, an additional 25% of current US electricity-generating capacity that uses coal and hydrocarbon as their energy source is also projected to be decommissioned by 2045. Unfortunately, no new nuclear power plant technologies have been implemented in the U.S. since the late 1980s and no power reactors have started the licensing process in the US.
With the rising cost of hydrocarbons it is unclear how the US will recover the more than 45% of their electricity generating capacity that will be decommissioned by 2045! If we replace this generating capacity using current technologies, we will have to build more than 200 reactors in 40 years. However, if we go to the more efficient technology of the HT3R, we will only have to build half as many plus have excess energy available to generate hydrogen.