The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has completed the second phase of its vendor design review for the ARC-100, concluding that there are no fundamental barriers to licensing, ARC Clean Technology said.
The ARC-100 is a 100-megawatt sodium-cooled fast neutron reactor and is the first advanced reactor of its kind to complete a review of this type with the CNSC, according to the company’s Tuesday press release. ARC-Clean’s phase two’s multi-year review began in 2022.
CNSC’s vendor design review is a pre-licensing service that is optional. The review is broken up into three phases that assess the reactor technology’s compliance with regulatory requirements, potential barriers to licensing and a follow up.
Vistra Corp’s Perry Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 operating license has been renewed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission through November 2046.
The 1,268-megawatt nuclear plant in Perry, Ohio is a single-unit plant. The plant first began operation in 1986 and is currently operating under its initial 40-year license.
The initial license renewal application for the Perry nuclear plant was submitted by Energy Harbor in 2023. However, Energy Harbor was acquired by Vistra Corp. in March 2024.
Westinghouse has signed a memorandum of understanding with Eclipse Automation, a part of Accenture, in an effort to deploy more nuclear builds in Canada and internationally.
Within the MoU, Eclipse Automation has the ability to provide automation solutions for key AP300 and AP1000 projects, Westinghouse’s Tuesday press release. The two companies can also work together to develop tooling for refurbishment of operating nuclear plants.
The Governmental Accountability Office has sent several recommendations to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in an effort to improve its cybersecurity at the agency.
GAO’s six recommendations were sent to NRC’s Chief Information Officer Scott Flanders as his roles and responsibilities pertain to IT. GAO said the implementation of the recommendations would improve the agency’s ability to deter threats and manage its critical systems, operations and information.
One of the recommendations directs the NRC chair to have the agency CIO work with the Office of Management and Budget to ensure annual information technology portfolio reviews are done in collaboration with the federal CIO and the Chief Operating Officer or Deputy Secretary. The GAO report was published on June 26 and made public on July 3.
The U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday said the White House can go ahead with plans for major layoffs and restructuring of the federal government while legal challenges play out, according to media reports.
The Washington Post and other media outlets reported Tuesday afternoon that the high court elected not to block planning for mass layoffs at this stage. The ruling was in response to emergency motions filed by the administration in response to litigation filed in lower courts by the American Federation of Government Employees and other groups.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson filed a written dissent, the Post reported.