Secure Our Energy Future
Energy security is vital for national security and prosperity. Our nuclear, radiological, and cybersecurity experts work to secure our energy future through a range of R&D, technical assessment, capacity building, and workforce development efforts. We:
- Facilitate nuclear energy expansion through safeguards, security, and cybersecurity innovations, enhancing U.S. leadership and promoting the highest nonproliferation standards;
- Provide expert assessment of the security risks of nuclear reactors and their associated fuel cycles around the world;
- Inform measures to prevent radioactive and nuclear materials incidents that could disrupt energy supply chains, jeopardize nuclear energy expansion, and harm national security; and
- Enhance the resiliency and security of our energy sector – including our increasingly distributed grid – through cybersecurity R&D, innovative applications of AI, and training for the next generation of cyber defenders.
Understanding the Complexities of Nuclear Safeguards and Security
As the United States pursues expansion of nuclear energy at home and the export of nuclear reactors across the globe, it is essential that those reactors are protected against exploitation and misuse. Our cross-divisional team of subject matter experts understands how to incorporate international safeguards and security elements into the designs of advanced nuclear reactors, and we partner with U.S. industry to incorporate safeguards and security by design (SSeBD) principles into reactor designs. This helps American industry prepare for success in international markets while upholding the highest standards of nonproliferation and inhibiting development of nuclear weapons. At a 2025 SSeBD workshop, for example, we hosted representatives of 10 U.S. companies with unique reactor designs as well as academic and government experts, facilitating dialogue and using unique Argonne facilities and expertise to demonstrate SSeBD principles.