Publications: Nuclear Energy & Radwaste Monitor

Florida-based nuclear startup AMPERA’s established an Australia-based subsidiary to streamline the use of thorium from Australia to fuel its “factory-built, scalable, supercritical nuclear energy system’, the company said Tuesday. According to AMPERA’s press release, these efforts build off the framework the U.S. government announced with Australia to secure supply for mining and processing critical, rare […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Several industry experts sought to lower expectations for nuclear fuel recycling during a Tuesday House hearing, saying backend recycling will not solve the larger domestic nuclear waste challenges. In recent years, lawmakers of both parties have shown renewed interest in nuclear fuel recycling and reprocessing. The practice would take spent nuclear fuel […]

The Department of Energy has approved Oklo Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis for its Aurora powerhouse project at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) under DOE’s reactor pilot program. Oklo broke ground for its Aurora-INL reactor in September 2025. DOE’s goal under the pilot program is to have at least three test advanced reactors reaching criticality by […]

The Department of Energy’s Idaho Cleanup Project recently completed two shipments of gloveboxes from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to disposal facilities. According to North Wind Group’s May 27 press release, crews from the Idaho Environment Coalition, led by Amentum and North Wind Portage, dismantled the gloveboxes. A glovebox is a sealed unit designed to […]

In less than a year, Doug Weaver has been sworn in as a Nuclear Regulatory Commission member twice, this time for a new five-year term. Weaver was confirmed alongside nearly 50 of President Donald Trump’s other nominees in the en bloc package, Senate Resolution 690, spearheaded by the Republicans. The nominees’ confirmation passed by a […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public input on a draft environmental assessment and draft finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for restarting the former Three Mile Island reactor. NRC published a notice in the Federal Register on Monday and requested that comments be submitted by July 8. NRC is evaluating the foreseeable environmental effects […]

Tennessee released  its own regulatory framework for nuclear fusion technologies this week, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) said. According to a June 1 press release, TDEC said that Tennessee will be the first state to move forward with a technology-neutral approach for fusion machines. On Tuesday, the state unveiled the regulatory process […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Legislation to accelerate licensing for domestic uranium enrichment is critical in building nuclear reactors at scale, panelists told the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy subcommittee Tuesday. During the House subcommittee hearing, the panelists discussed six proposed pieces of nuclear energy-related legislation that subcommittee members said are aimed to further modernize nuclear […]

The Department of Energy is working with the state of Utah on finalizing an agreement to place a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus there, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said during a House hearing Wednesday. Wright provided a brief update on DOE’s Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus, which the agency has been rather tight-lipped on. He was […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a new rulemaking Monday that would move its mandatory hearings in licensing reviews towards the beginning of the process rather than towards the end. According to NRC’s Tuesday press release, the rulemaking, triggered by Executive Order 14300 and the Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act — or the ADVANCE Act […]

Tuesday in Arlington, Va., the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB) heard from various nations developing repository sites for spent nuclear fuel. During its spring board meeting, the NWTRB listened to presentations featuring technical lessons gleaned from the siting and development of geologic repositories in other countries. This includes speakers from countries such as […]

Constellation Energy moves one step closer to restarting the former Three Mile Island reactor in Pennsylvania after having a waiver granted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) this week. Under the waiver request granted on Monday, Constellation will be able to transfer 760 megawatts of capacity interconnection rights from its Eddystone natural-gas power plant […]

The Department of Energy is not yet sharing specifics about the states underserious consideration for its Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus program,  The DOE program seeks federal-state partnerships to increase the nation’s fuel fabrication, uranium enrichment and waste disposal efforts. The program was announced in January, and in April, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said 28 states […]

Torrance, Calif.-based Antares Nuclear reached zero-power criticality at the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Thursday, becoming the first reactor company to reach this milestone under the reactor pilot program. Antares’ Mark-0 test reactor reached criticality exactly one month before DOE’s reactor pilot program’s deadline of July 4. The company additionally becomes the 53rd […]

Deep Fission has partnered with Day & Zimmerman for the construction of Deep Fission’s underground Gravity reactor in Great Plains Industrial Park in Parsons, Kan. According to Day & Zimmerman’s Tuesday press release, Day & Zimmerman will oversee the Deep Fission’s project’s pre-construction planning and perform the above-ground construction. The reactor being constructed in Kansas […]

The House Armed Services Committee passed the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would authorize $160 million for the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy in a 44-12 vote Thursday night. The $160 million is level to what the NDAA authorized the Office of Nuclear Energy last fiscal year. On May 20, […]

Holtec International said last week it was selected to power the Green River Advanced Nuclear Project in Emery County, Utah,  Holtec will construct its SMR-300 small modular reactor (SMR) in Emery County under Gov. Spencer Cox’s (R) state initiative Operation Gigawatt to double energy production within 10 years. The company’s SMR-300 is a pressurized water […]

United Kingdom-based Rolls-Royce SMR has selected Doosan Enerbility and Škoda JS to supply reactor components for its small modular reactor (SMR) program, the company said on May 27. According to Rolls-Royce SMR’s May 27 press release, the two supply chain companies will conduct pre-production work, including reactor vessel body, design finalization  and manufacturing readiness to […]

Austin, Texas-based Last Energy received the Department of Energy’s approval of its preliminary safety analysis last week for its test microreactor at the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus in Bryan, Texas. Last Energy becomes the most recent nuclear company to achieve this regulatory milestone under DOE’s reactor pilot program, which seeks to have at least three test […]

Curio submitted a letter of intent to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to start the pre-application work and the eventual submission of its operating license for the NuCycle used nuclear fuel recycling facility at a site yet to be determined.  According to Curio’s May 27 press release,  site selection is underway for the proposed fuel recycling […]

A multi-billion-dollar expansion is coming to Urenco USA’s National Enrichment Facility in Eunice, N.M., enlarging the capacity by nearly 50%, the company said Tuesday. Urenco USA, an affiliate of the European Urenco Group, said in a press release it will install 2.1 million separative work units (SWU) of new enrichment capacity of low-enriched uranium at […]

The New York Power Authority released two new solicitations Monday that aim to advance Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) plan to add five gigawatts, or 5,000 megawatts, of nuclear power. The first solicitation builds on Hochul’s initial plans to add 1,000 megawatts of new nuclear energy to upstate New York. The New York Power Authority issued […]

The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy subcommittee will host a hearing to examine several pieces of nuclear legislation on June 9 in Room 2123 in Rayburn House Office Building at 10:15 a.m. Eastern Time. The subcommittee panel will look at three bills that have already been introduced during this Congressional session. It will examine […]

Several officials from environmental organizations held a meeting in Washington, D.C. Tuesday warning against reworking the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and streamlining nuclear licensing amid the push of powering artificial intelligence (AI).  Over the past year, various environmental groups have opposed the United States’ renewed interest in nuclear power, spearheaded by President Donald Trump’s administration. Trump’s […]

X-Energy this week submitted an application for its Xe-100 small modular reactor to the United Kingdom’s Generic Design Assessment process. The company is developing the Xe-100 reactor, which is a high-temperature gas-cooled SMR capable of producing 80 megawatts of electricity. The reactor, which is also being reviewed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the United […]

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Finance Committee lost his Republican primary runoff Tuesday to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, according to national news outlets. Paxton, recently endorsed by President Donald Trump, won about 64% of the vote in the GOP runoff, according to Wednesday morning data from NBC News. The winner […]

NANO Nuclear acquired a transportation and services company named Secured Transportation Services that specializes in delivering radioactive materials. NANO said in a Monday press release that this acquisition represents an important milestone for the company, helping it become a vertically integrated company addressing a challenge in the fuel cycle: the transportation of nuclear materials for […]

Former Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chair Greg Jaczko said this week New York state lawmakers should approve the proposed nuclear moratorium bill to protect taxpayers from possible financial overruns of new nuclear plants. Assembly Bill A114333, named New York State Ratepayer Protection Nuclear Moratorium Act, would install a two-year halt to state funding and permits for […]