Office of Nuclear Energy

WASHINGTON – House Republicans Friday morning passed a short term stopgap spending bill to run through Nov. 21 that would keep funding at fiscal 2025 levels aside from exceptions including the National Nuclear Security Administration’s weapons activities. The final vote was 217-212, with two Republicans voting against the bill and one Democrat voting for the […]

Most of President Donald Trump’s picks to be leaders in the Department of Energy nuclear complex were finally confirmed Thursday 51-47, some after waiting on the bench since May after being voted through at the committee level. The nuclear weapons complex nominees confirmed en bloc this week are: Brandon Williams, the nominee to head DOE’s […]

Rik Geiersbach was just appointed chief strategy officer for BWX Technologies and will report directly to CEO Rex Geveden, the nuclear fuel company announced Monday on its website. “As chief strategy officer, Rik will lead the development, execution and integration of BWXT’s enterprise strategy and merger and acquisition initiatives,” Geveden said in the release. “His […]

The Department of Energy has published a request for application seeking deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and power generation projects at its Idaho National Laboratory site. Applicants will be responsible for constructing, operating and decommissioning each infrastructure project and must secure utility interconnection agreements for new electricity generation and storage systems, according to […]

The Department of Energy has published a request for application seeking deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and power generation projects at its Idaho National Laboratory site. Applicants will be responsible for constructing, operating and decommissioning each infrastructure project and must secure utility interconnection agreements for new electricity generation and storage systems, according to […]

In a nail-biting finish, the House passed its version of the fiscal 2026 Energy and Water Appropriations bill on the floor Thursday 214-213 after two days of debate and amendments. The four Republicans that voted against the bill were Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Penn.), Tom McClintock (Calif.) and Scott Perry (Penn.). Not a […]

Aalo Atomics announced it has broken ground for its experimental reactor in Idaho near the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory. The Austin, Texas-based startup nuclear company was selected as one of the 11 projects under DOE’s reactor pilot program and plans to reach by July 4, 2026, according to Aalo’s Aug. 28 press release. […]

The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy has established a consortium to work with U.S. nuclear fuel companies in an effort to increase domestic fuel availability. Under DOE’s new Defense Production Act (DPA) Consortium, voluntary agreements will allow industry collaboration to create plans to secure the U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain capacity throughout the […]

The Reuters news service reported last week that President Donald Trump’s administration plans to tap plutonium left over from dismantled nuclear weapons to help power commercial nuclear reactors in the United States. The news service reported Trump could have the Department of Energy make 20 metric tons available for U.S. nuclear power plants. The article […]

The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy has established a consortium to work with U.S. nuclear fuel companies in an effort to increase domestic fuel availability. Under DOE’s new Defense Production Act (DPA) Consortium, voluntary agreements will allow industry collaboration to create plans to secure the U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain capacity throughout the […]

BWX Technologies has formed a new subsidiary, BWXT Advanced Fuels, dedicated to the commercialization of advanced nuclear fuel, the company announced Aug. 21. The new subsidiary will pursue partnerships to deliver commercial nuclear fuel for upcoming advanced nuclear reactors, BWXT said in its Aug. 21 press release. BWXT Advanced Fuels will focus on guaranteeing the […]

With Congress out on recess this month, a busy September looms with authorization bills requests in both chambers to finalize by Oct. 1 and pending nominations in the Senate for the Department of Energy.  Lawmakers will return facing a looming government funding deadline at the end of September, with a continuing resolution, which has become […]

Earnings rose at Amentum, Chantilly, Va., during the past quarter, which the company attributed in part to the White House and congress prioritizing nuclear power and national defense.   Net earnings for the quarter ended June 27 were $10 million, or $0.04 a share, up from a $26 million loss, or a loss of $(0.29) a […]

The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy will brief the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board later this month on DOE management of high-level radioactive waste and spent fuel. The hybrid summer meeting, announced recently by the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB), is scheduled Wednesday Aug. 27. The all-day session kicks off at 8 […]

The Department of Energy said Monday it has picked Standard Nuclear of Oak Ridge, Tenn., as the first company to participate in a Donald Trump administration pilot program to develop nuclear fuel production lines to support advanced reactors. In the Aug. 4 press release, DOE said Standard Nuclear has been “conditionally selected” as the first […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite projected rising power demand, pro-nuclear White House orders and increased investor interest, many challenges remain for a “nuclear renaissance” to take place in the United States, an expert panel said here Wednesday. The nuclear industry has at best a “mixed” record on cost and schedule performance on nuclear power plants, said […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite projected rising power demand, pro-nuclear White House orders and increased investor interest, many challenges remain for a “nuclear renaissance” to take place in the United States, an expert panel said here Wednesday. The nuclear industry has at best a “mixed” record on cost and schedule performance on nuclear power plants, said […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The nuclear projects deadlines set out by President Donald Trump’s administration’s executive actions are aggressive but necessary, a panel of nuclear industry experts and members said Wednesday. Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy Deputy Assistant Secretary Michael Goff, Department of Defense Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army Jeff Waksman, U.S. Nuclear Industry Council […]

Here are events related to nuclear matters that Exchange Monitor staff are tracking: July: 22: Meeting: A meeting of the Savannah River Site Citizens Advisory Board, which will be livestreamed, is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Eastern Time from the  Center for African American History, Art and Culture, 120 York Street NE, Aiken, South […]

The Department of Energy has announced a new pilot program to strengthen the U.S. supply chains for nuclear fuel and support the expedition of the development of new advanced reactors. The initiative is intended to reduce the country’s reliance on foreign sources of enriched uranium and critical materials, while allowing the private sector to invest […]

The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy miscalculated during the selection process of its High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) Demonstration Project, the Department’s Office of Inspector General found in an audit. In a July 2 audit report the Office of Inspector General (OIG) found the Office of Nuclear Energy inappropriately limited competition during its pre-award […]

The full House Appropriations Committee passed a spending plan Thursday night that would boost spending at both the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy’s nuclear energy office in fiscal 2026.  The measure, which passed late Thursday by a 35 to 27 vote, appears to keep in place the package advanced days before, on […]

The Paris-based Nuclear Energy Agency is monitoring 74 small modular reactors across the globe that are under active development and not merely paper projects, officials said Wednesday. The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), a branch of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), used an online webinar and press conference to show off its new […]

Nuclear energy spending would receive a boost in fiscal 2026 legislation laid out July 13 by the House Appropriations Committee’s Energy and Water subcommittee. In the proposed House Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations subcommittee bill, the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy would receive $1.795 billion, which is $110 million more […]

Several nuclear and energy groups urged Secretary of Energy Chris Wright this week to take action to address the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle in the United States. The Nuclear Energy Institute, Energy Communities Alliance (ECA), Nuclear Industry Council, American Nuclear Society, Decommissioning Plant Coalition, Nuclear Waste Strategy Coalition (NWSC), National Association of […]

A dozen universities, two developers of small modular reactors and some national laboratories, have landed Rapid Turnaround Experiment projects with Nuclear Science User Facilities, from the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy. The 23 award winners were announced June 26 and DOE said their work would support advanced nuclear deployment and nuclear materials. Rapid […]

A dozen universities, two developers of small modular reactors and some national laboratories, have landed Rapid Turnaround Experiment projects with Nuclear Science User Facilities, from the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy. The 23 award winners were announced June 26 and DOE said their work would support advanced nuclear deployment and nuclear materials. Rapid […]

The Department of Energy set out the basics of its test reactor pilot program at its 2025 Industry Day on Wednesday. On June 18 DOE announced a test pilot program to expedite testing advanced nuclear reactors under DOE authority, with the objective to have “at least three reactors” reach criticality by July 4, 2026. DOE […]

The Idaho National Laboratory has concluded a first-of-a-kind safety experiment with high burnup fuel the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy announced on Tuesday. Text results should provide data that could help boost performance and lower the amount of waste generated at nuclear plants, the Office of Nuclear Energy said in its press release. […]

The Department of Energy has released its fourth loan reimbursement to Holtec for about $100 million to support efforts to restart the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan.  Secretary of Energy Chris Wright made the announcement this past Friday, saying that the efforts to restart the Palisades plant further align with one of President Donald Trump’s […]