Publications: Nuclear Energy & Radwaste Monitor

Constellation Energy’s Nine Mile Point Nuclear Plant in Oswego, N.Y. is being considered as a potential deployment site for an advanced nuclear reactor, a New York television station WSTM reported July 25.  Last month New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), announced plans to deploy an advanced nuclear plant that can produce at least 1,000 megawatts. […]

The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and a privately-held artificial intelligence company signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last week to use AI to streamline licensing for new nuclear projects.  The agreement was signed with California-based Atomic Canyon at the Nuclear Opportunities Workshop held in Knoxville, Tenn July 22-23. The MOU […]

Tennessee lawmakers recently modified certain tax laws related to nuclear facilities, including Orano USA’s multi-billion dollar uranium enrichment plant in Oak Ridge.  In Senate Bill 885/House Bill 1133, sponsored by state senator Shane Reeves (R) and   state representative Clark Boyd (R), expanded the definition of “certified green energy production facility” to include nuclear energy […]

The U.S. Senate confirmed David Wright’s nomination to serve a new five-year term with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission after a 50 – 39 vote Monday night. Nearly all Republican senators voted in support of Wright’s confirmation, Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) did not vote. All 39 votes against Wright’s confirmation […]

A federal district judge in Texas has agreed to suspend proceedings until Sept. 29 in a lawsuit by Texas, Utah and Last Energy that challenges Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing for small reactors. U.S. District Judge Jeremy Kernodle issued the latest extension in the case June 30 at the request of the parties. “Since the […]

Ontario Power Generation has received approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to construct and operate the Pickering Component Storage Structure at the Pickering Waste Management Facility. The Pickering nuclear plant is located near Toronto.  The Pickering Component Storage unit is required for storage of low- intermediate-level waste that results from refurbishment of Pickering Nuclear […]

Chief Nuclear Officer Tim Rausch has announced his resignation from Tennessee Valley Authority, effective by March 1, 2026, according to a July 14 Securities and Exchange Commission filing.  In his role as chief nuclear officer, Rausch is overseeing seven TVA nuclear reactors at: Browns Ferry in Alabama, Sequoyah in Tennessee, and Watts Bar in Tennessee. […]

Westinghouse and Emirates Nuclear Energy Company recently entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore speeding up deployment of AP1000 reactors in the United States. Emirates Nuclear Energy Company, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, signed the agreement with Westinghouse in Washington, D.C. on Friday July 25. Westinghouse said the MOU supports President Donald Trump’s goal […]

Second-term commissioner Annie Caputo has decided to resign from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, an NRC spokesperson confirmed Tuesday morning.  Caputo’s resignation announcement comes the day after David Wright was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on NRC for a new five-year term. It also came a day before the White House announced the nomination […]

President Donald Trump this week nominated Ho Nieh, currently an executive with Southern Co.’s nuclear branch, to serve on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The nomination of Nieh, who formerly worked in a staff management position at both NRC and the Paris-based Nuclear Energy Agency, was announced in a Wednesday press release by the White […]

Deep Isolation announced Thursday it is moving to become a public company and merge with Aspen-1 Acquisition. The Berkeley, Calif. based nuclear disposal technology company has closed a reverse merger transaction with the U.S.-based blank check company Aspen-1 Acquisition, according to Deep Isolation’s Thursday press release. A reverse merger is a transaction where a private […]

The United Kingdom government has approved £38 billion ($51 billion USD) for the Sizewell C Nuclear Power Plant project. The final investment decision from the UK government has given the green to Sizewell C plant. The approval marks the first time since 1995 that the UK has opened a nuclear plant as the existing nuclear […]

BWX Technologies has begun manufacturing the reactor core of Project Pele’s microreactor at its Innovation Campus  in Lynchburg, Va., the company announced Thursday, in a press release. Pele is a mobile gas-cooled demonstration microreactor with the ability to produce 1.5 megawatts. The microreactor, which will be used by the Department of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office, […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold two public meetings on July 31 and Aug. 6 to discuss the potential restart of Crane Clean Energy Center, formerly known as Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, in Middletown, PA. The July 31 meeting will be held in-person at Capitol Union Building, on the Penn State Harrisburg campus, in […]

The United States Senate appears headed toward a Monday July 28 confirmation vote on David Wright’s reappointment as a commissioner at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Next Monday at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time, the Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Wright to be a NRC commissioner for a five-year term that would […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite projected rising power demand, pro-nuclear White House orders and increased investor interest, many challenges remain for a “nuclear renaissance” to take place in the United States, an expert panel said here Wednesday. The nuclear industry has at best a “mixed” record on cost and schedule performance on nuclear power plants, said […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The nuclear projects deadlines set out by President Donald Trump’s administration’s executive actions are aggressive but necessary, a panel of nuclear industry experts and members said Wednesday. Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy Deputy Assistant Secretary Michael Goff, Department of Defense Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army Jeff Waksman, U.S. Nuclear Industry Council […]

The Paris-based Nuclear Energy Agency released its third edition of its Small Modular Reactor Dashboard on Tuesday and its newest edition identified 127 SMR technologies being developed around the globe.  As NEA officials said last week, out of the 127 SMR technologies cited, 74 of them are in active development and are given comprehensive overviews […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Industry analysts told a subcommittee of the Government Oversight Committee Tuesday that Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) standards are slowing down advanced nuclear deployment.  At the same time, a former NRC chairman said stripping NRC of its independence could undermine public confidence in the safety of nuclear power plants. Alex Epstein, founder of […]

Oklo has recently entered into two energy-based agreements that utilize its advanced nuclear Aurora powerhouse, one involves teaming up with an oilfield services company that was founded by now Energy Secretary Chris Wright. The Santa Clara, Calif. based advanced nuclear company announced a strategic partnership with Liberty Energy, an oil-based services company headquartered in Denver, […]

Holtec’s Palisades Nuclear Plant is inching closer to potential restart as ​the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved six licensing actions Thursday for the Michigan plant.   NRC staff has officially approved Holtec’s request to change Palisades facility license from a decommissioning status back to an operating license. NRC has also found no significant environmental impact. “The […]

The Department of Energy has picked four nuclear complex sites to be used for deployment of new artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. DOE announced the Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Site in Tennessee, Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant site in Kentucky and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina will host the AI data centers, according […]

Oklo has completed its Nuclear Regulatory Commission pre-readiness assessment of Phase 1 of the combined license application for its Aurora project at Idaho National Laboratory. The Santa Clara, Calif. based advanced nuclear company, has been working with NRC on the application since 2016. The company intends to submit its full combined license application to the […]

The Department of Energy has announced a new pilot program to strengthen the U.S. supply chains for nuclear fuel and support the expedition of the development of new advanced reactors. The initiative is intended to reduce the country’s reliance on foreign sources of enriched uranium and critical materials, while allowing the private sector to invest […]

Oklo has selected Kiewit Nuclear Solutions to lead construction of its first commercial Aurora nuclear powerhouse at the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Kiewit Nuclear Solutions., a subsidiary of Kiewit Corporation, will support the design and construction of the Aurora powerhouse at INL under a master services agreement, according to Oklo’s Tuesday press […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently accepted  for review the Tennessee Valley Authority’s construction permit application for the Clinch River nuclear site in Oak Ridge, Tenn.  NRC told TVA in a July 9 letter it has completed the acceptance review for the second part of the construction permit application. The regulator previously completed the first half […]

The Paris-based Nuclear Energy Agency is monitoring 74 small modular reactors across the globe that are under active development and not merely paper projects, officials said Wednesday. The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), a branch of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), used an online webinar and press conference to show off its new […]