Today, April 3, the Senate Energy and Public Works Committee (“EPW”) introduced new legislation that continues to demonstrate bipartisan support for advanced nuclear reactor developments, including expanding levels of...more
On March 30, the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) published a report walking through the benefits and latest progress in fusion energy developments, while noting certain challenges and proposing policy approaches to...more
Interest in nuclear energy—and its promise of clean, secure, and affordable power—continue to lead to new projects in the U.S. and abroad. Traditional large reactors, advanced reactors and small, modular reactors (“SMRs”) are...more
On January 17, U.S. Space Force officials issued an advanced research announcement seeking new ideas in space nuclear power generation for propulsion and sensors aboard small satellites....more
On January 9, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Nishimura Yasutoshi announced plans to strengthen bilateral cooperation on developing next-generation nuclear...more
Today the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) officially announced a major scientific breakthrough in fusion energy when the National Ignition Facility (“NIF”) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (“LLNL”) in...more
On December 7, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed the bipartisan International Nuclear Energy Act (“INEA”), which aims to support the United States’ civil nuclear export strategy and promote international...more
The world is currently experiencing a global energy crisis of unprecedented breadth and complexity, according to the International Energy Agency (“IEA”) in its annual World Energy Outlook published on October 27. While the...more
On October 3, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin unveiled Virginia’s 2022 Energy Plan, calling for deployment of the state’s first small “modular nuclear reactor” in the region and going all-in on nuclear....more
On September 26, 2022, the International Atomic Energy Agency (“IAEA”) published its annual projections on nuclear power growth, predicting a substantial increase in nuclear generating capacity due to increased concerns about...more
A recent report released last week by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) shows that hundreds of coal plant sites could host new nuclear reactors. Siting new nuclear at retiring coal sites, referred to as the...more
On September 14, the NRC staff publicly released its preliminary White Paper on “Licensing and Regulating Fusion Energy Systems” to support upcoming meetings with the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards on options for...more
On August 9, 2022, President Biden signed the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act of 2022 (H.R. 4346) (collectively the “CHIPS and Science Act” or the “Act”), which contains a number...more
Today we take the unusual step to devote a write up to highlight two significant commercial developments for a single company because of their importance for decarbonization of the industrial sector and for advanced reactor...more
On July 27, 2022, Senator Majority Leader Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Manchin (D-WV) reached an agreement to provide $369 billion for climate and energy projects in the proposed Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA” or the...more
In an action that distinguishes the unique traits of advanced reactors from large, light water reactors, on July 13, 2022, the NRC Commission approved in SRM-SECY-20-0045 a new approach for determining where advanced reactors...more
The world is increasingly recognizing that nuclear power can play a critical role in combatting climate change, while also providing critical energy security....more
While fuel prices skyrocket and energy supply and security concerns continue, interest in nuclear power is gaining momentum around the world....more
First, the Commission voted to not conduct a formal rulemaking on the NRC’s current environmental review process under 10 CFR Part 51. Separately, the staff proposed alternative timelines for a rulemaking to revise the...more
On April 12, 2022, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”) staff completed its systematic assessment of how the NRC approaches environmental justice in its programs, policies and activities, by submitting to the...more
On April 7, 2022, Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Jim Risch (R-ID), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced the International...more
On February 24, 2022, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued three unusual decisions pertaining to the agency’s review of subsequent license renewal (SLR) applications. The Commission orders reversed a previous...more
On February 24, 2022, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued three unusual decisions pertaining to the agency’s review of subsequent license renewal (SLR) applications. The Commission orders reversed a previous...more
On February 11, 2022, Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office Nuclear Energy announced the launch of the $6 billion Civil Nuclear Credit (CNC) Program aimed at preserving the existing U.S. fleet of nuclear power reactors and the...more
In early 2022, blog author Amy Roma spoke with a Bloomberg Law reporter about the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) Part 53 rulemaking efforts to support advanced reactor licensing. Amy’s position is that the NRC...more