Publications: ExchangeMonitor Morning Briefing

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) Doug Weaver was reconfirmed by the Senate Monday to serve a full five-year term as a commissioner that will expire in June 2031. Weaver was confirmed alongside nearly 50 of President Donald Trump’s other nominees in the en bloc package, Senate Resolution 690, spearheaded by the Republicans. The nominees’ confirmation […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said on May 15 it has received a bid from Indiana to become the 41st agreement state. An agreement state enters into a deal with the NRC to assume regulatory authority over particular radioactive materials and do inspections within the respective state borders. The state also receives some license fee […]

An Iranian withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) could destabilize the Middle East nonproliferation regime and prompt regional states to reconsider their treaty commitments, Iran scholar Sina Azodi said Monday. Speaking at an event hosted by the Stimson Center and moderated by former Iran task force leader Barbara Slavin, Azodi […]

NextEra Energy said on Monday that it will purchase Dominion Energy for nearly $67 billion to combine two of the largest utilities in the United States. According to the companies’ joint press release, the transaction was unanimously approved by both the Dominion and NextEra boards and is expected to close in 12 to 18 months. […]

SANTA FE, N.M. — Residents, advocates and technical experts said here last week that a National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) environmental review on plutonium pit production understates risks to water resources, worker safety and communities along transport routes. Some speakers at a Thursday May 14 public hearing in Santa Fe also said NNSA is failing […]

The House Appropriations Committee will markup its version of the fiscal 2027 energy and water development and related agencies bill, which would fund the agency in charge of maintaining the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile, on Wednesday, May 20. The House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee on Friday passed by voice vote its version of the […]

As the Air Force prepares to modify two B-52H bombers later this year for the Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP), the bomber directorate’s contracting office will meet with contractors interested in supplying support equipment to install new engines. The Office at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., will meet with contractors interested in supplying support equipment […]

Shipments to the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) appear to be back in full swing, with the facility receiving 55 waste shipments in April.  That’s the highest total since the 61 shipments of defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste that WIPP received in September 2025. It was also higher than the 47 it received […]

Here are events related to nuclear matters that Exchange Monitor staff are tracking:  MAY: 20: Hearing: The Senate Environment & Public Works plans a hearing at 10 a.m. Eastern Time to consider nuclear energy legislation.  26-28:Conference: The Energy Technology & Environmental Business Association (ETEBA) hosts its Small Business Summit, The formal program starts Tuesday May […]

Sen. Bill Cassady (R-La.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and one of the few remaining Republicans in Congress who once voted to impeach President Donald Trump, has lost a GOP primary race in Louisiana. Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, and state Treasurer John Fleming […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a time of growing energy demand, investment in nuclear power can be important to the economic future of the United States, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) said last week.  Gallego told the Nuclear Energy Institute’s Policy Forum May 12-13 that getting the right mix of nuclear energy in the domestic energy portfolio […]

The Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate and Nuclear Innovation and Safety will hold a hearing to discuss several draft nuclear-related legislation on May 20 in Room 406 at the Senate Dirksen Office Building in Washington, D.C. at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. \The subcommittee will look at the Build Nuclear with […]

The Navy’s latest 30-year shipbuilding plan released May 11 reveals the Trump-class battleship will be nuclear powered and armed, while extending to a 15-ship class.. “The nuclear-powered battleship is designed to provide the fleet with a significant increase in combat power by longer endurance, higher speed, and accommodating advanced weapon systems required for modern warfare,” […]

Several lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee last week were dubious of the Navy’s approach to the new Trump-class battleship in the fiscal year 2027 budget request. “I don’t doubt for a minute your need, I don’t,” Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), ranking member of the subcommittee, told Navy officials May 12.  “But here’s […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Amid ongoing organizational changes at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), staffing concerns take precedence as the independent regulator works to license the next generation of nuclear reactors. During a Wednesday Senate Environment and Public Works budget hearing, NRC Commissioner Bradley Crowell told the Senate that over the past 16 months, the agency […]

WASHINGTON — Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday the United States need not resume explosive nuclear testing, though he and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) head Brandon Williams acknowledged the president could choose to do so for reasons beyond technical necessity. Both officials’ answers were prompted by sharp questioning from Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) during […]

AtkinsRéalis has signed a 20-year agreement with First American Nuclear Company to become the engineering,  procurement and construction management provider for First American Nuclear’s small modular reactor deployments in North America. According to AtkinsRéalis’ Wednesday press release, work on the first task orders is already underway and agreement contemplates services are worth up to $250 […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As hyperscalers continue to prioritize speed to power, advanced reactors are seen as a long-term solution to powering artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, Meta’s Joel Kaplan said at a Tuesday forum. During the Nuclear Energy Institute’s (NEI) Nuclear Energy Policy Forum panel held here at Omni Shoreham Hotel, Kaplan, Meta’s chief global affairs […]

Brandon Williams, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration, said Wednesday the agency is rebidding the contract for Savannah River Site due to a “not acceptable” performance on the pit production program. “We are rebidding the contract because we agree with you that the timeline and the budget is not acceptable,” Williams said while testifying […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tim Walsh, the Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management, told a Senate panel Wednesday that his office is serious about solidifying tank waste at the DOE’s Hanford State in Washington state. Walsh appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee alongside Secretary of Energy Chris Wright as well as National Nuclear […]

The Department of Energy said Tuesday the Idaho National Laboratory recently made its first shipment of remote-handled transuranic (TRU) waste to DOE’s underground disposal site in New Mexico for the first time since 2014. Workers from Amentum-led contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition made the remote-handled transuranic waste shipment on April 21, according to DOE. The shipments […]

The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management is inviting interested residents of several East Tennessee counties to apply for openings on the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board. The DOE-sanctioned advisory board provides the Office of Environmental Management (EM) with advice and recommendations on cleanup of the DOE’s Oak Ridge Site, the […]

Russia said Tuesday it successfully tested a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile and plans to field the weapon later this year, a move that came as ceasefire efforts in Ukraine appeared increasingly strained. The country had carried out a successful test of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, according to comments made during a meeting with Strategic […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – After a prominent year for nuclear energy, the industry needs to turn its focus towards building new generation at scale, Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) President and CEO Maria Korsnick said at a Tuesday forum. To open the NEI’s 2026 Nuclear Energy Policy Forum, Korsnick said last year marked a year of serious […]

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) pressed Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently over the Department of Energy’s decision to redirect funding intended for the Savannah River Site to weapons production efforts at Los Alamos National Laboratory. During a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development subcommittee hearing in late April, Graham said $149 million appropriated through reconciliation for […]

The Department of Energy’s Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) is in jeopardy of ceasing operations due to its aging facility and spent fuel storage nearing its capacity, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a May 7 report. The GAO recommended that DOE complete its evaluation of the Idaho Operations Office’s research and test reactor spent […]