Publications: Nuclear Energy & Radwaste Monitor

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) unveiled plans for a new nuclear power siting study during his Feb. 17 State of the State address. Evers announced the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin and University of Wisconsin–Madison’s nuclear engineering department will lead the study. “We’re also continuing to explore new ways for Wisconsin to be a leader […]

Earnings fell at Fluor, Irving, Texas, during the fourth quarter of 2025, which the engineering and construction company partly attributes to a share buyback program and losing an overseas court ruling. Net earnings for the quarter ended Dec. 31 were a net loss of $1.6 billion or a loss of $9.87 a share, down from […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued TRISO-X a special nuclear material license, allowing the company to use high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) at its fuel fabrication facility in Oak Ridge, Tenn.  TX-1 and TX-2, X-Energy’s commercial fuel facilities, are the first such facilities licensed by the NRC in 50 years, the company said last week. TX-1 […]

Given limited staff, the Department of Energy needs a management plan for projects run through DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said last week. OCED was created in 2021 to manage DOE’s clean energy demonstrations, including nuclear, technology-based demonstration projects. The subagency has a framework that includes a phased […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has accepted the first part of a Holtec International subsidiary’s construction permit application for review, according to Holtec’s Wednesday LinkedIn post. NRC said in a Feb. 13 letter it has completed the acceptance review for the permit, submitted Dec. 31 by Holtec’s SMR, LLC..  Along with the first part of […]

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) signed an executive order this week that will focus on new nuclear generation with a goal of adding at least 2 gigawatts or 2,000 megawatts. According to the Wednesday order, Pritzker called for the Illinois Power Agency and Illinois Commerce Commission to consult with other agencies and issue a notice […]

Two Washington state lawmakers have introduced legislation that requests the governor pursue the Department of Energy’s state nuclear lifecycle campus inquiry. The bill, House Joint Memorial 4016, was initiated by state Reps. Stephanie Barnard (R) and Mark Klicker (R) on Feb. 14.   The two lawmakers represent districts not far from DOE’s largest nuclear cleanup site […]

Some states are starting to evaluate the Department of Energy’s request for information (RFI) to host a nuclear lifecycle hub. Exchange Monitor has reached out to several states about the RFI and two states that responded were South Carolina and Tennessee. Separately, a bill proposed in the Washington state legislature would have that state’s governor […]

Sam Randazzo, an Ohio energy regulatory chief who took his own life in 2024 after being indicted in a FirstEnergy bribery scandal, previously worked for FirstEnergy and a coalition of businesses at the same time when they were negotiating with each other, according to recent court testimony. This came during February testimony from former FirstEnergy […]

The Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the tech powerhouse Nvidia have partnered to employ artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate nuclear reactor development. The partnership stems from President Donald Trump administration’s Genesis Mission, according to INL’s Tuesday press release. The Genesis Mission comes from a Trump executive order in November that calls for […]

A nuclear reactor was airlifted from March Air Force Base (AFB), Calif. to Hill AFB, Utah, on Sunday, according to a release on the Pentagon’s website. This is the first time a nuclear reactor has been airlifted as a form of transport. Three C-17 transport planes flew individual components of a Valar Atomics 250 nuclear […]

The Department of Energy has approved the safety analysis for its Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) project at Idaho National Laboratory Wednesday. “The MARVEL project, under the DOE Microreactor Program, aims to advance the integration and application of microreactors in various industries, providing a unique opportunity for companies to learn from, collaborate, test […]

Earnings rose at Amentum, Chantilly, Va., in its first quarter, which the international engineering and technology company attributed to surging interest in nuclear both to power the grid and to support space exploration. Net earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 ended Jan. 2 were $44 million, or $0.18 a share, up from $12 […]

Centrus Energy has agreed to a strategic partnership with Fluor, which will serve as  engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the planned expansion of an Ohio uranium enrichment plant. The Bethesda, Md.-based Centrus will collaborate with Fluor through subsidiary American Centrifuge Operating, according to its Wednesday press release. The subsidiary operates the American Centrifuge Plant […]

Sens. James Risch (R-Idaho) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) reintroduced a bill this week to reduce financial risk for new nuclear projects.  The 18-page Accelerating Reliable Capacity (ARC) Act establishes a risk reduction program for new reactors by placing safeguards against potential costs through financing terms and a limited federal cost share, according to the senators’ […]

Électricité de France (EDF) recently awarded Virginia-based Amentum a handful of new nuclear services contracts valued at roughly $730 million (£540 million). Under these contracts, Amentum will be expanding the critical solutions for the United Kingdom’s current nuclear reactor fleet, in addition to the construction of a new gigawatt power station at Hinkley Point, according […]

BWX Technologies said it has made “significant progress” in the production of tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) for Antares Nuclear and is on track to have it completed by the July 4 deadline. Antares is one of 10 companies that were selected for DOE’s advanced reactor pilot program. The program seeks to have at least three reactors […]

The Department of Energy approved the preliminary documented safety analysis for Radiant Nuclear’s Kaleidos demonstration reactor Monday. El Segundo, Calif.-based Radiant becomes the second company to have its safety analysis approved by DOE under its advanced reactor pilot program, with the first being Antares Nuclear. Through the program, DOE has set a goal of at […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted Duke Energy’s early site permit application for the Belews Creek Station near Stokes County, N.C. NRC staff found that the application contains enough information for the agency to formally docket the case and begin its detailed technical reviews, according to its press release. Docketing the application does not mean […]

A new nuclear technology company, Project Omega, said this week it will focus on developing nuclear fuel recycling technology. The Rhode Island-based private company said it will develop and deploy “cutting edge technologies and processes to recycle spent nuclear fuel into long-duration, high-density power sources, and critical materials for the nuclear industry,” according to the […]

The United States and Armenia signed an agreement to collaborate in civil nuclear power Monday. Within the deal, it will allow up to $5 billion in U.S. exports to Armenia and an additional $4 billion in longer-term fuel and maintenance contracts, Vice President J.D. Vance said during the Monday press conference. The agreement is also […]

The Department of Energy has approved the preliminary documented safety analysis for Hawthorne, Calif.-based nuclear company Valar Atomics’s demonstration reactor Thursday. The announcement of the completed safety analysis was made by DOE Idaho Operations Manager Robert Boston in a Friday LinkedIn post. Valar becomes the third demonstration reactor under DOE’s pilot reactor program to get […]

Nuclear energy hit a record high in power generation in 2025 and could play a larger role in the world’s power mix going forward, according to a February International Energy Agency report. In the report “Electricity 2026”, published Feb. 6, nuclear power produced 2,850 terawatt-hours (TWh) globally in 2025, indicating a 1.2% increase from 2024 […]

The Department of Energy has awarded over $19 million to five nuclear companies to research and develop fuel recycling technology for spent nuclear fuel. According to DOE’s Feb. 5 press release, the five selected companies were: Chicago-based Alpha Nur will research and validate a process that recovers highly enriched uranium from used fuel by domestic […]

Earnings fell at Centrus Energy, Bethesda, Md., in the fourth quarter, which the uranium broker attributed to the decreased revenue from its uranium sector. Net earnings for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 were $17.8 million, or $0.79 a share, down from $53.7 million, or $3.20 a share, in the year-ago quarter. Quarterly revenue was […]

The United States should prioritize the permanent disposal of defense high-level radioactive waste over commercial spent nuclear fuel, a group of panelists said during a Thursday webinar. In the Energy Communities Alliance’s (ECA) webinar “Options for High Level Waste and Used Nuclear Fuel”, Matt Bowen, a former Department of Energy official, said that defense high-level […]

The Department of Energy (DOE) has established a categorical exclusion from certain National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures for approving and constructing advanced reactors. The exclusion is a “category of actions that the agency has determined, as established in its agency NEPA procedures, normally does not significantly affect the quality of the human environment and […]