Publications: ExchangeMonitor Morning Briefing

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) inspectors at Los Alamos National Laboratory raised concerns about staffing levels at the lab’s field office, warning that federal oversight might not keep pace with the site’s growing workload. According to a recent resident inspector report, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Los Alamos, N.M. Field Office is operating […]

The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) last week approved the Department of Energy’s request extending how long the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) can hold certain drums of transuranic waste in temporary storage areas pending underground disposal. Meanwhile, the comment period on a separate WIPP issue, where the state of New Mexico is seeking to […]

New changes are coming to nuclear fuel cycle and materials licensing, including an exclusive streamlined licensing pathway for nuclear fuel reprocessing, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said on June 18. NRC said in a press release that the proposed rule where the many changes will occur is intended to reduce regulatory barriers and expedite development of […]

The Department of Energy has approved a move to streamline U.S. civil nuclear exports to Thailand, easing regulatory requirements for American companies seeking to engage in nuclear energy projects in the country. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright signed a determination adding Thailand to the list of destinations eligible for “generally authorized” transfers of unclassified civil […]

Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico is seeking commercial partners for a patented fire mitigation technology designed to improve safety in advanced heat-pipe nuclear reactors, according to a recent technology licensing notice. Responses are due Dec. 19, 2026, according to the Department of Energy’s June 19 notice. The technology is intended to address one […]

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) unveiled an interactive map that shows how much spent nuclear fuel is produced around the world and where it sits in the respective countries. IAEA said in a Monday press release that this tool is the second edition of its Global SNF Inventory, with the first being published in […]

The Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) is making headway on its solicitation for a venture that would demonstrate recycling of defense-related spent fuel to extract high-assay-low-enriched-uranium (HALEU) fuel for advanced reactors. DOE announced the request for applications (RFA) in April for the demo project at the Idaho National Laboratory. An Industry Day […]

Startup nuclear project developer Elementl Power is pursuing plans to build a 1,500-megawatt nuclear plant using GE Vernova Hitachi’s BWRX-300 reactors in southeast Ohio. Construction on the first unit is expected to begin by 2030, subject to a final investment decision and regulatory approval, Elementl Power said in its June 18 press release, and hope […]

Here are events related to nuclear matters that Exchange Monitor staff are tracking:  June 23: Meeting: The Portsmouth Site Specific Advisory Board meetings starting at 6 p.m. Eastern Time at Ohio State University, Endeavor Center, 1862 Shyville Road, Room 165, Piketon, Ohio 45661.  24: Meeting: West Valley Citizens Task Force meets virtually starting at 6:30 […]

Seth Cohen, the Department of Energy’s chief counsel for nuclear law and policy, announced over the weekend that he is leaving the government. “So, the cat is out of the bag … this past week I decided to transition out of the federal government,” Cohen said Saturday on his LinkedIn page. Cohen said he was […]

Another non-light reactor has reached criticality under the Department of Energy’s reactor pilot program, as California-based Valar Atomics achieved the milestone on June 18. Valar Atomics conducted its zero-power criticality testing at Utah San Rafael Energy Lab in Emery County, Utah, marking the first reactor to hit this feat outside of a national laboratory, according […]

Berkeley, Calif.-based Deep Fission last week became a publicly listed company on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, the company said in a press release. The underground small modular reactor (SMR) developer will trade under the ticker symbol of FISN. Deep Fission said June 17 that the $16 per share pricing of its public offering should […]

The Air Force and Army Corps of Engineers broke ground May 28th at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., on a construction project for the future Northrop Grumman LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The project is a $26 million Commercial Entrance Control Facility (CECF) – the so-called “Gateway to Sentinel” – which, once built in […]

The Virginia-class submarine USS Colorado (SSN-788) completed its scheduled maintenance period at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility on June 10, 29 days ahead of schedule.  The Navy said in a statement the early completion was due to a close partnership and clear communication between the shipyard and ship’s crew.  “Colorado’s success […]

Navarro Research and Engineering has entered into a strategic partnership with New York-based Quadrant Nuclear Industries to support the growing demands of the advanced nuclear industry, Navarro said this week.  According to Navarro’s press release, through the agreement Quadrant Nuclear plans to combine its experience in advanced nuclear technology development and project execution  Navarro’s expertise […]

The Department of Energy is getting closer to renaming its nuclear cleanup branch, the head of what is currently the DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) told a gathering of industry contractors Wednesday in Washington, D.C. EM is “soon to be the Office of Nuclear Restoration and Revitalization.” DOE’s Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management Tim […]

Former Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chair Greg Jaczko lost in a longshot bid for Congress as a Democratic delegate for Washington, D.C., according to multiple news outlets. At-large D.C. council member Robert White won the Democratic primary for the Congressional seat, garnering 63.2% of the vote, according to the Associated Press. Jaczko finished last among the […]

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) expects the full House of Representatives to take up the fiscal 2027 Energy & Water Development appropriations bill next week. “We will go to the floor next week.” Fleischmann told the annual meeting of the Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG) Wednesday in Washington, D.C. The lawmaker, whose district adjoins the Department […]

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said that Holtec International’s Palisades nuclear power plant will play a role in power data centers in Michigan, according to a Monday WKAR article. Wright, along with Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), discussed energy plans in Michigan amid the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing closing a $1.6 billion […]

A Department of Energy Savannah River Site contractor and a safety watchdog are looking at an early May mishap where a crane boom struck a powerline along an access road in the saltstone area of the complex. The incident was laid out in two separate Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) staff reports. BWXT-led Savannah […]

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California has entered production for the Lynx supercomputing cluster, a new high-performance computing system designed to support nuclear weapons simulations and other key national security workloads. The system is part of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Commodity Technology Systems-2 program, an effort to provide advanced computing resources across the […]

A construction company has broken ground on an $11 million procurement warehouse for the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Program (SRPPF).  Hensel Phelps, the general contractor for the facility, said in its June 12  news release that the warehouse will be 22,000 square feet and is slated for completion in March 2027. The warehouse will provide […]

The largest driver to the increase of nuclear reactor construction cost in the United States is mid-construction regulatory change, American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Roger Pielke recently said.  In a Monday analysis report, Pielke said U.S. nuclear construction has essentially flatlined since 2006 and argued that nuclear policy choices have led to the cost increase. […]

Senators from both parties are pressing the Donald Trump administration to submit any future agreement with Iran, and any provisions addressing Tehran’s nuclear program, for congressional review. Lawmakers returned to Washington this week seeking details about a preliminary memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran that Trump said would help end hostilities and […]

The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) released its version of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which would authorize $32.31 billion in spending for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). SASC marked up its version of the must-pass defense policy bill last week, and it has advanced to the Senate floor now. The […]

Eleven candidates, including multiple Republicans have filed paperwork with Washington state election officials to compete in an Aug. 4 primary to help select a successor to incumbent Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) in the state’s 4th congressional district. The Central Washington district, with a history of supporting Republicans, includes the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site. Newhouse, […]