Nuclear energy is a clean, low-carbon power source that can generate electricity 24 hours a day, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. New reactor technologies, such as molten salt reactors — which use high-temperature liquid salts instead of water as the primary coolant — have the potential to improve fuel utilization and support more efficient fuel recycling, among other possible benefits, according to a team led by scientists in Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.