Budget & Policy

The Donald Trump administration is seeking a more direct role in speeding up new reactor development and, in the process, could curb the authority of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission through executive orders, the New York Times and  NPR reported over the weekend.  Reportedly, there are four draft executive orders under consideration by the White House […]

Top Senate defense appropriator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said this week the Donald Trump administration’s defense budget outline, which factors in planned reconciliation spending to achieve a $1 trillion topline, “fails” to meet the required level of investment. McConnell Tuesday criticized the decision to include anticipated reconciliation funds as a “budgetary sleight of hand.” “American politicians […]

Washington’s state senate majority leader recently blocked a tax break that would have provided extra time for nuclear projects to be eligible for tax credits. The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Stephanie Barnard (R) of the Tri-Cities, plans to revive the bill in the Washington legislature’s 2026 session. She hopes to convince Senate Majority Leader Jamie […]

The Senate Tuesday voted 52-to-44 to confirm James Danly, a former member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to be deputy secretary of energy. The vote was along party lines with four senators, two Democrats and two Republicans, not voting. Danly, an attorney and U.S. Army veteran from Tennessee, was nominated to the position by […]

A federal appeals court has told the White House, and plaintiffs suing the government over mass layoffs, to file arguments next week on the Donald Trump administration’s “emergency motion” to block a lower court’s temporary restraining order. The Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Tuesday May 13 told plaintiffs, including the American Federation of […]

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) recently wrote a letter to his state’s Congressional delegation urging them to extend tax credit and loan programs for nuclear energy developments. In the May 9 letter, McMaster wrote that South Carolina is working to usher in its “nuclear renaissance” to address its and the country’s need for energy. […]

The Senate Tuesday voted 52-to-44 to confirm James Danly, a former member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to be deputy secretary of energy. The vote was along party lines with four senators, two Democrats and two Republicans, not voting. Danly, an attorney and U.S. Army veteran from Tennessee, was nominated to the position by […]

A federal appeals court has told the White House, and plaintiffs suing the government over mass layoffs, to file arguments next week on the Donald Trump administration’s “emergency motion” to block a lower court’s temporary restraining order. The Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Tuesday May 13 told plaintiffs, including the American Federation of […]

Top Senate defense appropriator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday the Donald Trump administration’s defense budget outline, which factors in planned reconciliation spending to achieve a $1 trillion topline, “fails” to meet the required level of investment. McConnell criticized the decision to include anticipated reconciliation funds as a “budgetary sleight of hand.” “American politicians have criticized […]

The Senate Tuesday voted 52-to-44 to confirm James Danly, a former member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to be deputy secretary of energy. The vote was along party lines with four senators, two Democrats and two Republicans, not voting. Danly, an attorney and U.S. Army veteran from Tennessee, was nominated to the position by […]

The Donald Trump administration has asked the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse a temporary restraining order issued by a federal judge in Northern California that suspends mass layoffs at federal agencies. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston issued a decision May 9 blocking the Departments of Defense, Energy, Interior and others temporarily blocking […]

The Donald Trump administration is seeking a more direct role in speeding up new reactor development and, in the process, could curb the authority of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission through executive orders, the New York Times and  NPR reported over the weekend.  Reportedly, there are four draft executive orders under consideration by the White House […]

The Senate Armed Services Committee will hear testimony Tuesday morning from President Donald Trump’s nominee for deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation for the Department of Energy’s semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration. Matthew Napoli, the administration’s nominee to be deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation of the National Nuclear Security Administration, is scheduled to testify […]

The U.S. Air Force said on Thursday that the program executive officer for bombers at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center submitted a program deviation report on the B-52 Radar Modernization Program to the service’s acquisition executive on Apr. 11. “The Air Force is assessing the cost and schedule growth on the program and […]

The Senate has agreed to a cloture motion that could clear the way for the chamber to vote on President Donald Trump’s nomination of James Danly to be deputy secretary of energy. The Senate in a voice vote on Thursday May 8 agreed to “proceed to executive session’” for  consideration of the Danly nomination, according […]

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on April 30 favorably reported out two of President Donald Trump’s Department of Energy nominees. The committee endorsed Preston Wells Griffith to be undersecretary of energy and Dario Gil to be undersecretary of energy for science. Both nominations are being placed on the Senate executive calendar, one of […]

On Thursday, Ontario Power Generation received approval from the Province of Ontario to build its first small modular reactor at the Darlington New Nuclear Site in Clarington, Ontario. With a target date of 2030 for operation, OPG will build its first BWRX-300 SMR at the Darlington site. The company intends to build a fleet of […]

WASHINGTON – Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), ranking member of the House Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee, told Secretary of Energy Chris Wright Wednesday she has not received a “single response” to letters she sent him regarding firings at his agency. Kaptur said she and other lawmakers, over the past five months, on a “bipartisan” and […]

U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) called for more investment in new nuclear power to address the United States and global demand for electricity, in an April 28 opinion piece posted in the Washington Times. “We are at a pivotal moment in energy production that will define our nation and the world for the remainder of […]

U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) is urging House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) to retain tax credits for nuclear energy developments in the reconciliation bill. Federal tax incentives aimed to support investment in and operation of nuclear plants are important to a nuclear resurgence, Newhouse said in a letter sent on May […]

WASHINGTON – Advanced nuclear reactor development will be driven by private funding with the help of federal money, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said this week.  Wright spoke before the House Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee on Wednesday about the Department of Energy’s budget request highlighted in the fiscal year 2026 “skinny” budget. The skinny […]

The Donald Trump administration’s outline for a $1 trillion defense budget for fiscal 2026 received swift pushback from senior Republicans for the decision to include anticipated reconciliation funds to reach the record topline. While the White House touted an “unprecedented” 13% boost in defense spending, the base defense budget, released on Friday, would remain flat […]

WASHINGTON – Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), ranking member of the House Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee, told Secretary of Energy Chris Wright Wednesday she has not received a “single response” to letters she sent him regarding firings at his agency. Kaptur said she and other lawmakers, over the past five months, on a “bipartisan” and […]

U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) called for more investment in new nuclear power to address the United States and global demand for electricity, in an April 28 opinion piece posted in the Washington Times. “We are at a pivotal moment in energy production that will define our nation and the world for the remainder of […]

The Government Accountability Office, in a report sent last month to Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, highlighted six areas affecting the mission of DOE and its semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration. Nuclear weapons complex areas discussed were: improving contract, project and program management; as well as management of nuclear modernization challenges; addressing strategic human capital; […]

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said despite proposed budget cuts, there should be no slowdown in remediation at Department of Energy nuclear cleanup sites. “Through doing things smarter, there won’t be any slowdown” in nuclear cleanup at Cold War and Manhattan Project sites, Wright told Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) during a Congressional hearing Wednesday. The […]

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said despite proposed budget cuts, there should be no slowdown in remediation at Department of Energy nuclear cleanup sites. “Through doing things smarter, there won’t be any slowdown” in nuclear cleanup at Cold War and Manhattan Project sites, Wright told Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) during a Congressional hearing Wednesday. The […]

The Government Accountability Office, in a report sent last month to Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, highlighted six areas affecting the mission of DOE and its semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration. Nuclear weapons complex areas discussed were: improving contract, project and program management; as well as management of nuclear modernization challenges; addressing strategic human capital; […]

WASHINGTON – Advanced nuclear reactor development will be driven by private funding with the help of federal money, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said this week.  Wright spoke before the House Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee on Wednesday about the Department of Energy’s budget request highlighted in the fiscal year 2026 “skinny” budget. The skinny […]

WASHINGTON – Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), ranking member of the House Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee, told Secretary of Energy Chris Wright Wednesday she had not received a “single response” to letters she sent him regarding firings at his agency. Kaptur said she and other lawmakers, over the past five months, on a “bipartisan” and […]