Publications: ExchangeMonitor Morning Briefing

The Congressional Nuclear Security Working Group and Advanced Nuclear Weapons Alliance Deterrence Center (ANWA) postponed a Monday meeting at the Capitol with Brandon Williams, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration. “Due to the federal government shutdown, the planned Discussion with The Honorable Brandon Williams and Dr. Richard Tighe [CEO of Consolidated Nuclear Security, the […]

Work crews at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina are starting what DOE dubs a “leak-tightness” test on its fifth super-sized saltstone disposal unit (SDU) at the federal complex near Aiken, S.C. Starting Monday, Oct. 27, environmental contractor Savannah River Mission Completion will start running the test on SDU-10, DOE said […]

BWX Technologies (BWXT) said this week it has hired Bill Walker as its vice president, government and stakeholder relations in Canada. It is a newly-created position, according to BWXT. A three-term member of the Provincial Parliament and deputy speaker of the Ontario Legislature, Walker has more than 30 years of experience in  government, energy and not-for-profit […]

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) introduced a bill Tuesday that pushes for more oversight and public accountability for how nuclear power plants use their decommissioning funds. Lawler’s bill, Reactor Expenditure Accountability and Compliance Transparency (REACT), directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to require nuclear plant licensees to provide more detailed and transparent reporting in their financial assurance […]

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) reintroduced a bill last week that would order the Department of Energy (DOE) to study the viability of domestic nuclear fuel recycling. In the Senate bill, Advancing Research in Nuclear Fuel Recycling Act of 2025, the energy secretary is instructed to analyze the practicality, benefits, costs and […]

Fueled by its Defense Systems and Mission Systems segments, Northrop Grumman, which is developing the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, Tuesday reported strong third quarter results wherein earnings rose Net earnings for the third quarter, ended Sept. 30 and listed in the company’s 10-Q form, were $1.1 billion, up from $1.026 year-over-year. Net income rose 7% […]

Already offline for most of 2025, the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU) at the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory, will remain out of service until early 2026, a DOE spokesperson said this week. After DOE and Amentum-led contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition returned the facility to operation July 17, the facility shut down five days […]

The ranking member of the House Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee on Tuesday reported the Australian officials are “buoyant and bullish” about AUKUS moving forward following a Monday meeting between President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) also thinks an ongoing Pentagon review of the submarine agreement is probably focused […]

The story “NNSA furloughs 80% of workforce, focus on keeping Pantex and Y-12 open” [Weapons Complex Morning Briefing, Oct. 21, 2025] should have said a source told the Exchange Monitor Monday the current focus is keeping the Y-12 National Security Complex and Pantex Plant running since both sites run out of funding first.  “The Y-12 […]

BWX Technologies has applied for $100 million through Wyoming Energy Authority’s Large Project Energy Matching Funds to support construction of its tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel fabrication facility near Gillette, Wyo. The Wyoming Energy Authority’s Energy Matching Funds committee has recommended sending this proposal to Gov. Mark Gordon (R) for review for the $100 million grant, […]

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, in a press conference Monday in Nevada., said all of the federal employees at Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) had been furloughed. Wright spoke in two press conferences in Nevada Monday, one being in Las Vegas and one being at the physical site of NNSS in Mercury, Nev. north of […]

Nearly 60% of U.S. adults favor building more nuclear power plants, Pew Research Center found in a recent survey. While nuclear power is more popular among Republicans by 17%, this is the first time Republicans and Democrats both hold a favorable outlook on nuclear power,  Pew said in a report released this month.  Pew’s survey […]

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) officially announced Saturday Oct. 18 that Acting Chair Thomas Summers has ended his service with the agency following the expiration of his five-year term. “Mr. Summers served the board with distinction, most recently as acting chairman, leading the agency during a period of significant transition and sustained operational […]

Bethesda, Md.-based uranium broker and enrichment technology developer Centrus Energy will hold its third quarter earnings call for this year on Nov. 6 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The company’s third quarter, which ended on Sept. 30, will also be released on Nov. 5 prior to the earnings call with Wall Street analysts. Centrus experienced […]

President Donald Trump clearly approved of the trilateral AUKUS agreement Monday and even indicated the U.S. would expedite the sale and delivery of three to five nuclear-powered attack submarines. Trump’s remarks came as he appeared next to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to sign a bilateral agreement on critical mineral mining.  When Trump was asked […]

Last Energy, in conjunction with Texas A&M University System, announced plans to construct a pilot microreactor at the Texas A&M RELLIS campus in Bryan, Texas. The pilot will feature Last Energy’s PWR-5 reactor, which is a scaled-down version of the company’s commercial pressurized water reactor PWR-20 design that produces 20 megawatts of electricity, according to […]

Holtec International said Monday that restart of the Palisades nuclear plant in Covert, Mich., is “imminent” following delivery of 68 nuclear fuel assemblies. “The fuel was fabricated domestically by a highly respected nuclear fuel manufacturer that has supplied Palisades and others in the nuclear industry for decades,” Holtec said in a Monday news release. Holtec […]

The Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) should stay open to shippers of defense-related transuranic waste from across-the-country, the Energy Communities Alliance told New Mexico’s Environment Secretary James Kenney in a letter Friday. The Washington, D.C.-based Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) wrote to Kenney in reaction to statements that the head of the New […]

The Department of Energy Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) at the Hanford Site in Washington state has filled seven canisters with vitrified tank waste as of Friday, according to DOE. As of Friday morning, Oct. 17 at Hanford “7 containers were full, an 8th was almost complete, and the 9th was in the process of being […]

Northrop Grumman and the Air Force have completed a critical design review for the launch support system of the LGM-35A Sentinel future intercontinental ballistic missile, the defense contractor said Monday. The launch support system is a digital command and control infrastructure for Sentinel operations and launches. According to the press release, the review was executed […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) furloughed around 1,400 employees, 80% of its workforce, with only 375 exempted as critical personnel that will still come into work Monday. A source told the Exchange Monitor Monday the current focus is keeping the Y-12 National Security Complex and Pantex Plant running since both sites run out of […]

NuScale Power, the Oregon-based developer of small modular reactor technology, has selected James Canafax as its chief legal officer and corporate secretary, the company said Monday. Canafax was most recently general counsel and chief compliance officer at Maritime Partners, NuScale said in a press release. Canafax is also a former senior vice president and general […]

The Australian government announced it was doubling its investment in a submarine supplier qualification pilot program that is helping companies qualify to enter the supply chain of the U.S. submarine industrial base. The Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification Pilot is specifically meant to provide more ways for Australian small and medium enterprises to access the American […]

Spent Fuel Solutions will hold a webinar Oct. 22 with the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council (USNIC) Back-End Working Group Chair Rod Baltzer to discuss the organization’s national waste management policy paper. The Wednesday webinar will be from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific Time and can be viewed via Zoom. USNIC’s action plan “Action Plan […]

Following published reports that Preston Wells Griffith was being forced out as undersecretary of energy, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright announced Friday the appointment of Alex Fitzsimmons as acting undersecretary. Fitzsimmons, like Griffith, served in the first Donald Trump administration. Fitzsimmons has gained considerable clout so far at DOE under Wright. Already this year, Fitzsimmons […]

The federal shutdown enters its 20th day on Monday Oct. 20 and with no breakthrough expected soon, the Department of Energy has called off next week’s meeting of advisory board leaders for the Office of Environmental Management (EM). In an announcement emailed to Exchange Monitor late Friday, DOE said the EM Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM […]