Office of Nuclear Energy

A subprogram responsible for consent-based siting of spent nuclear fuel from power plants would drop by more than half if a bill scheduled for a committee vote Tuesday becomes law. The Integrated Waste Management System (IWMS) within the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy would get $25 million for fiscal year 2025, $30 million […]

The Department of Energy seeks industry input about a long-term contract to design, build, license and operate a federally owned interim storage site for spent nuclear fuel, according to a notice released last week. Responses to the request for information are due Sept. 6, the Friday after the U.S. Labor Day holiday. DOE released the […]

The Department of Energy’s nuclear power and waste portfolio would remain about flat for fiscal year 2025 and again receive unrequested funds to help commercialize advanced nuclear reactors, if a spending bill unveiled this week becomes law. If the bill from the House Appropriations energy and water subcommittee bill is signed, DOE’s Office of Nuclear […]

The Department of Energy this week solicited bids for what could be a decade-long contract to purchase new low-enriched uranium fuel from U.S. and allied sources. The Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) Enrichment Acquisition will be a 10-year, $3.4 billion, indefinitely-quantity, indefinite-delivery contract with multiple awardees, DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy wrote in the solicitation posted […]

A House panel on Friday announced that it plans next week to vote on a bill to fund Department of Energy civilian nuclear programs for fiscal year 2025. The House Appropriations energy and water development subcommittee planned to stream the markup live on its YouTube channel. The bill under consideration would fund the Department of […]

Harry Boston, founder of Boston Government Services, is stepping down as CEO and being succeeded by chief operating officer Doug Freund, the Oak Ridge, Tenn.-based Department of Energy contractor said May 31. Boston, who started Boston Government Services (BGS) in 2007, sold his ownership stake to Louisiana-based Bernhard Capital Partners in 2022, according to the […]

An executive at American Demolition and Nuclear Decommissioning, John (Rick) Dearholt has died, the head of a Knoxville-based nuclear trade organization confirmed by phone Tuesday morning. A memorial service for Dearholt, a longtime board member for the Energy, Technology & Environmental Business Association, is set for Friday June 21, said the executive director of the […]

The Department of Energy last week announced a $180-million funding opportunity for nuclear fusion innovation in connection with its Fusion Energy Strategy 2024. In a White House ceremony, DOE said the solicitation is the latest step in “Decadal Vision” to hasten commercial development of nuclear fusion. Details on the funding opportunity for the Fusion Innovation […]

The Department of Energy’s top manager for spent fuel and high-level waste, Paul Murray, told a local panel in California Thursday several consolidated interim nuclear fuel storage sites will be needed across the nation. “How many sites do I think we really need,” Murray said during a presentation to the San Onofre Community Engagement Panel. […]

LOUISVILLE, KY— In a five-year span, prospects for the U.S. commercial nuclear power sector have gone from gloomy to upbeat, an executive with the industry group, Nuclear Energy Institute, said here last week. As recently as 2019, up to 20 U.S. reactors, or more than one-fifth of the fleet, were expected to shut down under […]

A project to design a federally owned and operated interim storage facility for radioactive waste reached the milestone that marks the start of conceptual design work, the Department of Energy said Wednesday. The Federal Consolidated Interim Storage Facility project “recently” reached the critical decision-0, or CD-0, milestone, DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy wrote Wednesday in […]

A project to design a federally owned and operated interim storage facility for radioactive waste reached the milestone that marks the start of conceptual design work, the Department of Energy said Wednesday.  The Federal Consolidated Interim Storage Facility project “recently” reached the critical decision-0, or CD-0, milestone, DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy wrote Wednesday in […]

Before leaving the Department of Energy on May 3, Kathryn Huff briefly spotlighted the Joe Biden administration’s consent-based siting program for spent nuclear fuel in a recorded interview produced by the agency. “It’s what we owe to communities, it’s what we’ve promised the utilities, and trust that the U.S. government is moving forward rather than […]

Before leaving the Department of Energy on Friday, Kathryn Huff briefly spotlighted the Joe Biden administration’s consent-based siting program for spent nuclear fuel in a recorded interview produced by the agency. “It’s what we owe to communities, it’s what we’ve promised the utilities, and trust that the U.S. government is moving forward rather than stagnating […]

Kathryn Huff will leave the Department of Energy on May 3, only days before what would have concluded her third year at the top of the Office of Nuclear Energy. Huff shared the news in an email, which the Exchange Monitor saw on Monday. Her departure was first reported by Politico. Mike Goff, Huff’s deputy, will become acting […]

Kathryn Huff will leave the Department of Energy on May 3, only days before what would have concluded her third year at the top of the Office of Nuclear Energy. Huff shared the news in an email, which the Exchange Monitor saw on Monday. Her departure was first reported by Politico. Mike Goff, Huff’s deputy, […]

Kasgro Rail, New Castle, Pa., started building part of a prototype heavy-duty rail car to transport spent nuclear fuel, the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy announced Monday. Fabrication of deck components for the prototype, eight-axle Fortis railcar began “recently,” according to the office’s press release. Fortis is one of two rail cars DOE is […]

Kasgro Rail, New Castle, Pa., started building part of a prototype heavy-duty rail car to transport spent nuclear fuel, the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy announced Monday. Fabrication of deck components for the prototype, eight-axle Fortis railcar began “recently,” according to the office’s press release. Fortis is one of two rail cars DOE […]

The White House this week requested a roughly 5.5% budget cut for the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy for fiscal year 2025. The office, which handles the agency’s civilian nuclear energy and waste programs, would get just under $1.7 billion for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, down about $94 million compared […]

PHOENIX — The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy could be about a month away from beginning conceptual work on a federally owned interim storage facility, the head of the office said here. The federal interim storage facility could hit the project management milestone known as Critical Decision 0, or CD-0, in the next […]

PHOENIX — Paul Murray, deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition, was scheduled to speak to the congressional spent fuel caucus in Washington on March 20, the Department of Energy official said here Tuesday. “Please call your local representatives and ask them to ask me the nastiest questions,” Murray said during a panel […]

PHOENIX — Paul Murray, deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition, was scheduled to speak to the congressional spent fuel caucus in Washington on March 20, the Department of Energy official said here Tuesday. “Please call your local representatives and ask them to ask me the nastiest questions,” Murray said during a panel […]

PHOENIX — The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy could be about a month away from beginning conceptual work on a federally owned interim storage facility, the head of the office said here. The federal interim storage facility could hit the project management milestone known as Critical Decision 0, or CD-0, in the next […]

Funding for the Department of Energy’s nuclear-weapons program would rise and funding for its nuclear-waste-cleanup programs would fall slightly year-over-year, under the fiscal year 2025 budget request President Joe Biden (D) released Monday. The Department of Energy had not released detailed budget justification documents as of Monday afternoon, but according to a document published Monday […]

The Department of Energy’s consent-based siting program to find a home for stranded spent nuclear fuel will not include talks with potential host states any time soon, a senior agency official said Wednesday. “At the right time we will start to engage with the states but now is not the right time.” Paul Murray, DOE’s […]

The Department of Energy’s consent-based siting program to find a home for stranded spent nuclear fuel will not include talks with potential host states any time soon, a senior agency official said Wednesday. “At the right time we will start to engage with the states but now is not the right time.” Paul Murray, DOE’s […]

A bipartisan border control bill published by the Senate over the weekend would provide $2.7 billion to jumpstart a new domestic, commercial uranium enrichment and fuel-making industry. In a statement posted Sunday to the website X, Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) said the bill would not pass his chamber. Aside from the […]

The Department of Energy on Tuesday solicited bids for a contract under which it could acquire up to 145 metric tons of high assay low-enriched uranium to help commercialize nuclear reactors that need the fuel. Under the contract, only U.S.-based companies will be allowed to perform the final step of enriching to the high assay […]

Entities hoping to convert energy-dense uranium into a form suitable for powering advanced reactors have two more weeks to prepare the bids for the Department of Energy, the agency said last week. Bids for the High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) Deconversion Acquisition are now due Feb. 13 instead of Jan. 30, the agency wrote in a procurement […]

The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy has put $7 million in funding up for grabs for nuclear energy programs at U.S. universities, the agency announced Wednesday.  The University Nuclear Research Infrastructure Revitalization grant will account for almost all of this round funding at a single $6-million award, DOE wrote in the release. The […]