First GAIN vouchers of 2025 go to Curio, Deep Fission, Kairos, and NuCube Energy

January 9, 2025, 7:04AMNuclear News

The Department of Energy’s Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) has awarded four fiscal year 2025 vouchers to support the development of advanced nuclear technologies. Each company will get access to specific capabilities and expertise in the DOE’s national laboratory complex—in this round of awards both Idaho National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are named—and will be responsible for a minimum 20 percent cost share, which can be an in-kind contribution.

Industry Update—January 2025

January 8, 2025, 9:30AMNuclear News

Here is a recap of industry happenings from the recent past:

ADVANCED REACTOR MARKETPLACE

DOE signs up first foreign partner for ARPA-E project

The Department of Energy has selected Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre as the first-ever foreign partner to join an Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) research project. The program is designed to accelerate the commercial development of fusion energy, with a focus on developing materials for the fusion reactor wall that can withstand extreme temperatures and radiation.

2024: The Year in Nuclear—January through March

January 8, 2025, 8:01AMNuclear News

Another calendar year has passed. Before heading too far into 2025, let’s look back at what happened in 2024 in the nuclear community. In today's post, compiled from Nuclear News and Nuclear Newswire are what we feel are the top nuclear news stories from January through March 2024. Some images below are of the covers of Nuclear News for the months as noted.

Stay tuned for the top stories from the rest of the past year.

Comments received on Hanford’s tank waste plans

January 7, 2025, 9:30AMRadwaste Solutions
Testing is conducted at the Hanford Site’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. (Photo: DOE)

The Department of Energy has agreed to hold a 30-day review and comment period on a draft environmental analysis associated with a proposed plan for retrieving, grouting, and transporting some of Hanford’s low-activity tank waste for out-of-state disposal.

Constellation wins landmark 10-year government electricity contract

January 7, 2025, 7:05AMNuclear News

The U.S. General Services Administration has announced a historic long-term purchase of electricity, including carbon-free electricity, from Constellation New Energy Inc. to power 13 federal agencies. In combination with another GSA contract, Constellation secured more than $1 billion from the deal.

NRC issues subsequent license renewal to Monticello plant

January 6, 2025, 3:00PMNuclear News
Monticello nuclear power plant in Monticello, Minn. (Photo: NRC)

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed for a second time the operating license for Unit 1 of Minnesota’s Monticello nuclear power plant.

NEI launches NuclearWorks for career awareness

January 6, 2025, 9:31AMANS Nuclear Cafe

The Nuclear Energy Institute has launched a new website that focuses on nuclear industry career awareness. NuclearWorks is designed “to allow students and potential job seekers the ability to identify career and/or education opportunities in the industry that align with their interests and skills/background,” according to Lori Brady, senior director of NEI’s Human Resources and Workforce Development.

New HALEU technologies could get $80 million for R&D and demonstrations

January 6, 2025, 7:01AMNuclear News

The Department of Energy has offered up to $80 million of Inflation Reduction Act funding to back potential advancements in high-assay low-enriched uranium production. The new funding opportunity, announced in December, will prioritize technological advancement developing innovative technologies and approaches to strengthen the front-end of the HALEU supply chain. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. (EST) on February 26, 2025.

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Manufacturing contracts awarded for TerraPower’s Natrium SMR

December 20, 2024, 12:02PMNuclear News

TerraPower announced this week that it has awarded the major manufacturing contracts for its Natrium plant reactor enclosure system.

These vendor awards help advance deployment and commercialization of what the company is calling “America’s first advanced reactor,” according to TerraPower’s press release. The news is also a major milestone in establishing the advanced nuclear supply chain, the company added.

Ohio bill would designate nuclear energy as “green”

December 20, 2024, 9:30AMANS Nuclear Cafe

DeWine

State legislation that designates nuclear power as “green energy” and expands oil/natural gas hydraulic fracturing (fracking) leases on state land was forwarded this week to the desk of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. The Republican governor has 10 days after receiving House Bill 308 to either sign it into law or veto it. A “green” designation would imply state recognition that nuclear energy causes no harm to the natural environment.

Pro arguments: In its coverage of the bill, Spectrum News quoted Greg Lawson, a research fellow at the Buckeye Institute, as defending nuclear energy. “Nuclear energy is zero carbon emission, and from that standpoint, it certainly addresses a lot of the concerns that folks have when they’re concerned about what happens to the climate. . . . Right now, Ohio is facing a real challenge. We’ve got a lot of data centers coming into Ohio. This is a massive issue. These things consume just incredible amounts of electricity,” Lawson said.

Modeling the change: Commissioner Wright leads by example as the NRC faces its future

December 20, 2024, 7:01AMNuclear News

David Wright

There is a modern-day parable that NRC commissioner David Wright likes to reflect on from time to time, the story of a janitor on a mission. On a visit to NASA in the 1960s, or so the story goes, amid all the action and excitement and VIPs, President Kennedy stopped a janitor who was pushing his broom down the hallway. Kennedy asked the man what he was doing and he said, “Well, I’m putting a man on the moon.”

Wright believes people—all the people—are how jobs get done. And the people of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have a very big job ahead of them. Whether it is meeting the requirements of the ADVANCE Act, bringing 10 CFR Part 53 closer to the finish line, or working with its counterparts in other countries toward climate goals and international agreements, the NRC is moving mountains, one sweep of the broom at a time.

GAO: NNSA needs to improve its waste management strategy

December 19, 2024, 12:00PMRadwaste Solutions

The National Nuclear Security Administration’s strategy for managing nuclear waste from nuclear weapons maintenance and modernization activities is not comprehensive and does not fully address all statutory requirements, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office.

Commonwealth Fusion Systems picks Virginia site for its first power plant

December 19, 2024, 9:30AMNuclear News
A rendering of Commonwealth Fusion Systems planned ARC power plant. (Image: CFS)

Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has announced that it plans to build a fusion power plant, named ARC, at the James River Industrial Park in Chesterfield County, Va.—and that it expects to be the first company to make fusion power available at grid scale.