Publications: Nuclear Energy & Radwaste Monitor

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has finalized a rule Oct. 30 that would change the agency’s contested hearings process for its licensing applications and create three hearing paths. The three hearing tracks are: standard, focused and expedited. The standard proceeding will be for 18-month reviews, focused will be for 12-month reviews and expedited for “faster reviews,” […]

Earnings dropped at AtkinsRéalis Group Montreal, Canada in the third quarter, which the engineering company attributed to higher income tax expense and acquisition-related costs, according to the company’s Thursday earnings report. For the net earnings, AtkinsRéalis reported (CAN) $133.3 million (US $95 million), or (CAN) $0.83 a share, for the third quarter that ended in […]

The same momentum that saw Democrats take control of the House and Senate, helped the party win most governorships in play during Tuesday’s election.  As of Thursday afternoon, the Associated Press projects that the Democratic Party will gain five states on the gubernatorial level. While the election results are unofficial, Democrats are expected to have […]

The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is on a path to complete its major decommissioning work by the end of 2028 and could reach final disposal in the near future, according to a recent report. Rep. Mike Levin’s (D-Calif.) office released the 2026 SONGS report late October, touting the progress the shuttered plant has […]

Bethesda, Md. uranium broker Centrus Energy has manufactured its first centrifuge and is shipping it to its uranium enrichment facility in Piketon, Ohio, the company said Oct. 29. The centrifuge was made at Centrus’ Oak Ridge, Tenn. facility. This centrifuge was completed as a part of the company’s multibillion dollar expansion of its uranium enrichment […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently issued a final safety evaluation report for advanced reactor developer X-energy’s first planned small modular reactor in Seadrift, Texas, completing its environmental review. According to X-energy’s Oct. 30 press release, NRC staff reviewed the company’s Xe-100 plant’s principal design criteria, safety analyses and other safety aspects and recommended that the […]

The United States Navy has selected its Naval Weapons Stations in Crane, Ind. to support large-scale advanced nuclear power generation at the naval installation. Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao announced on Oct. 28 at the 5th annual Northeast Indiana Defense Summit, hosted by Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), that the Navy is seeking proposals […]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – As renewed interest in nuclear energy continues to materialize in the United States, nuclear companies are seeking multiple suppliers to help bring their plans to fruition, company representatives said here on Oct. 29. Industry representatives from Orano USA, Centrus Energy and Oklo told audience members at an industry conference their respective companies […]

Bethesda, Md.-based uranium broker Centrus Energy reported mixed results in its earnings for the third quarter, seeing a gain in its quarterly income, but a decrease in net revenue. Net income for the third quarter ended Sept. 30 was $31.6 million, or about $1.53 a share, up from $3.9 million, or $0.21 a share, in […]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – As the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) undergoes something of an identity shift, it is embracing artificial intelligence (AI) data centers on remediated land at federal nuclear sites. Robert Seifert, DOE’s EM director of infrastructure disposition and regulatory policy, told the audience at the Energy Technology and Environmental Business […]

The Department of Energy approved Radiant Nuclear’s documented safety analysis Thursday, moving it one step closer to reaching criticality at DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL), the company said. Radiant will now proceed to DOE’s readiness review, the last step prior to starting up nuclear operations. This safety analysis also accounts for the company’s full-power operations […]

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright visited the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Covert Township, Mich. on Thursday, checking in on the United States’ first restart effort. Wright was joined by the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing Director Gregory Beard, Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), Department of Agriculture’s Glen Smith and Holtec’s Kris Singh and […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has finalized the rule to create a more uniform regulatory pathway for commercializing Department of Energy and Pentagon-approved reactor designs.  Originally proposed in April, the final rule is designed to allow NRC to leverage other agencies’ data and information regarding the reactor designs in its own regulatory review process. The rule […]

Finnish spent fuel management company Posiva Oy was granted an operating license on Oct. 22 for the encapsulation and its final disposal facility, Onkalo, for spent nuclear fuel in Olkiluoto, Finland, the company said. The decision was approved by the government following a favorable safety assessment issued by Finland’s nuclear regulator, the Radiation and Nuclear […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the final environmental impact statement for Global Laser Enrichment’s (GLE) proposed laser enrichment facility located near the Department of Energy’s Paducah Site in Kentucky. According to GLE’s Oct. 23 press release, NRC staff recommended issuing a license to construct and operate the facility. This issuance comes months after NRC published […]

BWX Technologies’ (BWXT) subsidiary, BWXT Advanced Fuels, will supply tri-structural – or TRISO – fuel to Antares Nuclear under a new multi-year agreement, the companies said Tuesday. Under this contract, BWXT will provide an initial supply of one metric ton of uranium of TRISO fuel to Antares. If Antares reactor deployment continues to grow, then […]

Constellation Energy was issued a conditional loan by the Department of Energy of up to $5 billion dollars to increase its operating reactor fleet capacity by 1,100 megawatts. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and DOE’s Energy Dominance Financing Director Gregory Beard made the announcement at Constellation’s Byron Clean Energy Center in Ogle County, Ill. Tuesday […]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –  With one year under his belt as Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (EM), Tim Walsh remains bullish about tapping remediated land at government nuclear installations for redevelopment. Walsh, joined by the principal deputy assistant secretary, or EM-2, Joel Bradburne, kicked off the Energy Technology and Environmental Business Association’s (ETEBA) […]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) told federal contractors and industry members here that he still expects the Energy and Water Development bill for fiscal 2027 to pass before Dec. 11. Fleischmann, who wrote the most recent energy and water appropriations bill, doubled down on his predicted passage of the bill Wednesday after he […]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – During the upcoming lame duck session, Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) hopes to get Congress to legally remove Yucca Mountain in Nevada as the exclusive  domestic repository for high-level waste.  During an industry conference, Fleischmann emphasized the need to update the 1982 version of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, which directed the Department […]

Kentucky state’s nuclear energy department issued a request for information (RFI) late last week to gauge interest in its nuclear reactor pilot program. According to the Oct. 16 RFI, the responses to the solicitation are due by Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. Responses from utilities, nuclear reactor developers, prospective utility customers and other […]

Arizona State University, Purdue University and the University of Tennessee have banded together to create a consortium focused on filling the pipeline for the advanced nuclear workforce.  The New Nuclear Academic Consortium, announced on Oct. 14, the three public research universities are working on a regional and national effort to build up a new group […]

Centrus Energy acquired one of its manufacturing suppliers, Westernman Holdings, in a transaction for nearly $116 million, Centrus said Monday. The near-$116 million acquisition was made up of a combination of $95 million cash that was on hand and $21 million of equity, Centrus said in its press release. Additionally, Westernman and all its business […]

Rockville, Md.-based X-energy, American Electric Power (AEP) and Amazon have signed a joint agreement to develop a 960-megawatt small modular reactor (SMR) project in Indiana. Using X-energy’s Xe-100 SMR, X-energy and AEP will pursue feasibility studies for the SMR at the former coal site, Breeding Generation Station, in Sullivan County, Ind. The two companies plan […]

In a short turnaround, West Virginia formally removed itself from consideration for the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus program recently. The state was selected to be the sixth state on a shortlist for the program on Sept. 8, but by Sept. 30, West Virginia withdrew itself after saying it would not be able […]

NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy’s merger could be jeopardized as the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s staff urge the commission to reject the proposal as it currently stands. In a Monday 201-page filing, the Virginia State Corporation Commission staff said the proposed merger application fails to prove that the merger would provide adequate service to Virginia […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking responses to gauge the market’s capabilities to help the agency perform its Force-on-Force inspection activities. According to the NRC’s Monday System for Award Management (SAM) notice, NRC invites all parties, including all categories of small businesses, to respond to the Source Sought Synopsis, a federal market survey tool.  NRC […]

Westinghouse plans to put $1 billion into constructing an advanced nuclear fuel factory at its Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility in South Carolina. Cranberry Township, Penn.-based Westinghouse said Wednesday the proposed fuel factory will produce low enriched uranium plus (LEU+) fuel to support its AP1000 reactor fleet. It hopes to have the new facility up and […]

The Nuclear Company, a startup project developer, is eyeing Lewis County, Ky. as its site for a planned 6,600-megawatt power plant that would use six of Westinghouse’s AP1000 reactors. The Prosperity One Nuclear Campus would have up to six AP1000 reactors, with the initial phase of it beginning with two units, The Nuclear Company said […]