Publications: Nuclear Energy & Radwaste Monitor

The Department of Energy has approved the preliminary safety analysis for Austin, Texas-based Aalo Atomic’s demonstration reactor under DOE’s pilot reactor program. Under the program, DOE wants to have at least three demonstration reactors reach criticality by July 4. With less than 120 days to go, Aalo becomes the fourth company to have its preliminary […]

Earnings rose at AtkinsRéalis Group Montreal, Canada in the fourth quarter, which the company attributed to the sustained demand for its engineering services and nuclear capabilities, according to its Feb. 27 press release. Net earnings for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 were (CAN) $95 million (US$69.5 million) or (CAN) $0.57 a share, up from […]

Nano Nuclear signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with EHC Investment Tuesday to explore a joint venture to deploy its KRONOS microreactor in the United Arab Emirates. EHC Investment is a UAE investment holding company based in Abu Dhabi that has been around for over 35 years and has 12 subsidiaries, including EHC Energy.  The […]

Kairos Power and the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have entered into a $27 million partnership to focus on accelerating advanced nuclear technology. “DOE’s support has been instrumental in helping Kairos Power accelerate our path to technological maturity,” Ed Blandford, Kairos chief technology officer and co-founder, said in ONRL’s Feb. 19 press […]

Orano USA submitted its environmental report for  Project IKE, a planned uranium enrichment plant in Oak Ridge, Tenn., with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Monday. “We are pleased to reach this early review stage with the NRC and to submit a detailed and comprehensive Environmental Report addressing the required analyses, including land use, air quality, […]

The Natrium technology of Bellevue, Wash.-based TerraPower has been accepted into the United Kingdom’s Generic Design Assessment process Feb. 19.  The Generic Design Assessment is the process used by U.K. nuclear and environmental regulators to evaluate new nuclear projects. TerraPower announced its intention to enter into the process in April 2025 and submitted the application […]

Earnings rose, though government operations fell, at BWX Technologies (BWXT), Lynchburg, Va., in the fourth quarter, which the company attributed to naval propulsion and commercial nuclear power awards. Net earnings for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 were $93 million, or $1.01 a share, up from $71 million, or $0.92 a share, in the year-ago […]

With the White House and Congress increasingly focused on new reactors, progress continues across the country on decommissioning shuttered nuclear power plants.  Here is a look at the status of the current shuttered U.S. commercial reactors. The list does not include reactors operated by the Department of Energy or were authorized by the Atomic Energy […]

Deep Fission signed an agreement with Urenco USA this week to receive low-enriched uranium (LEU) for fuel for its underground small modular reactor (SMR). The Berkeley, Calif.-based SMR developer said the fuel will be used to support its pilot Gravity reactor, under the Department of Energy’s (DOE) pilot reactor program, and initial commercial deployments, according […]

The Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, formerly the Loan Programs Office, has awarded a $26.5 billion loan to Southern Company to invest in its energy infrastructure.  Southern Company said in its Wednesday press release that the term is nearly 30 years of loans and will be split among two utility subsidiaries, Georgia […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted Three Mile Island Unit 1’s license amendment requests for its restart, according to a notice this week in the Federal Register. NRC said in its Tuesday press release that Three Mile Island Unit 1’s, now known as Crane Clean Energy Center, restart license amendment requests had sufficient information for […]

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 […]