AtkinsRéalis US Nuclear has appointed Jack Craig to serve as its senior vice president of energy and environment.
In Craig’s new role, he will oversee AtkinsRéalis’ major projects portfolio and work with current and prospective partners to expand AtkinsRéalis footprint with the Department of Energy, Department of Defense and National Nuclear Security Administration, according to the company’s Friday press release.
Craig’s most recent position was president and CEO of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. Under his leadership, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories “successfully advanced its mission across nuclear operations, environmental restoration, science & technology, and energy research, while executing more than $2 billion in major capital projects and guiding a workforce of over 4,200 employees,” according to the release. Craig is also a former senior DOE executive.
The weather outside could be frightful in coming days for much of the Department of Energy’s nuclear weapons complex, which will feel the impact of a major winter storm.
A quick survey of weather forecasts Friday showed locations including Washington, D.C.; the Oak Ridge Site in Tennessee; the Paducah Site in Kentucky; the Portsmouth Site in Ohio; the Savannah River Site in South Carolina and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico are all under some sort of winter storm watch or warning this weekend. Stay safe out there!
Exchange Monitor’s annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit will feature speeches from big nuclear weapons complex players, including National Nuclear Security Administration head Brandon Williams and the first public appearance by newly sworn-in U.S. Strategic Command commander Adm. Richard Correll.
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) whose state houses silos for the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missiles, will also speak.The agenda will also feature appearances from Scott Pappano, NNSA Principal Deputy Administrator, and Matthew Napoli, NNSA Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation.
The 2026 Nuclear Deterrence Summit will take place snow or shine Jan. 26-28 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va. The agenda can be found here.
Salt Lake City-based EnergySolutions has filed a notice of intent with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) confirming the company’s plans to develop new generation at the shuttered Kewaunee nuclear plant site in Wisconsin.
In a press release posted online Monday, EnergySolutions said it is working with WEC Energy, a Milwaukee-based utility holding company, on the project. EnergySolutions also said it is considering seeking an early site permit, construction permit, or combined license applications with the NRC.
“This is an important milestone in moving towards the next generation of nuclear power in Wisconsin in partnership with WEC Energy Group.” said EnergySolutions President and CEO Ken Robuck. “As communicated when we announced this initiative in May of 2025, the need for reliable, carbon-free power has never been greater. We have assembled an experienced team that brings environmental compliance, nuclear licensing and project management expertise to this project at a time new nuclear generation in Wisconsin is essential.” EnergySoluitons bought Kewaunee from Dominion Energy in 2022.
The Department of Energy’s Office of Legacy Management has hired a longtime federal hand, Lara Beasley, to be its deputy director.
Beasley comes to DOE Legacy Management from DOE’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the Legacy Management office announced in a December press release. A native of the Chicago area, Beasley has worked with both NNSA as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to the news release.
Beasley was NNSA’s principal deputy associate administrator for Environment, Safety, and Health, according to the release. She spent about 20 years with the Corps of Engineers and helped oversee about $2.9 billion annually in environmental cleanup, Legacy Management said. At the Corps of Engineers, Beasley collaborated with Legacy Management on remediation sites administered under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP).
The Department of Energy’s Savannah River National Laboratory in South Carolina has hired Roderick Jackson as its associate laboratory director for the science, energy and innovation directorate.
The science, energy and innovation directorate focuses on integrating fundamental research, energy reliability and innovation within a cohesive and mission-driven framework, according to a Jan. 14 press release. Jackson will now lead the recently established directorate.
“I’m excited to have him join the SRNL team and to have his experience guiding our new Science, Energy and Innovation Directorate,” SRNL Director Johney Green said in the release. “His leadership will be instrumental in strengthening our mission impact and accelerating the advancement of our research into real-world solutions.”
`After nearly 36 years as a science writer/communications specialist mostly with the cleanup program at the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory Erik Simpson retired effective Jan. 22.