Nuclear

Arizona’s three major electric power utilities said they will collaborate to explore adding more nuclear power generation in the state, possibly placing small modular reactors (SMRs) or building large reactor projects at the locations of retiring coal-fired power plants. Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP), and Tucson Electric Power (TEP) on Feb. 5 […]

Focused Energy and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California have announced the signing of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to develop a model simulating the behavior of low-density foams wetted with liquid deuterium and tritium during implosion. The agreement supports the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s INFUSE project. Focused, based in the San […]

Southern Co. subsidiary Georgia Power has proposed a pivot toward extending the life of several existing coal and natural gas-fired power plants into the late 2030s—well beyond previous retirement timelines—citing rising electricity demand, regulatory constraints, and grid reliability risks. The utility’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), filed with the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) on […]

Texas A&M University System has unveiled four nuclear developers with which it plans to explore building and operating small modular reactor plants (SMRs) at its Texas A&M-RELLIS campus near College Station. The project—dubbed “The Energy Proving Ground”—is part of a state-supported initiative to deploy operational advanced reactors in Texas within the next five to seven […]

Nuclear power plant outages demand efficiency, safety, and a high level of coordination to execute time-critical tasks and bring plants back online quickly. When a Pennsylvania nuclear power plant faced excessive critical path time due to outdated steam line plugs and a unique control rod blade transportation and storage requirement, the plant’s leadership engaged Preferred […]

As policies and regulations are adjusted to reflect a new presidential administration, the U.S. needs to unleash its full energy potential by embracing nuclear power. With opinions and regulations historically slow to adjust, the impetus for nuclear power may depend on the tech companies whose race for artificial intelligence (AI) may at last solve the […]

Shipping nuclear propulsion start-up CORE POWER, which in November of last year announced a deal with Westinghouse for design and development of floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs), has hired an architectural and marine engineering firm to help design FNPPs that could provide energy for operations at U.S. shipping ports. Glosten, with offices in Seattle, Washington, […]

The new artificial intelligence (AI) model from China called DeepSeek created a stock market meltdown on Monday, with the Nasdaq composite dropping 3% and the S&P 500 falling 1.5%. Beyond hammering the share prices of the world’s most valuable companies, DeepSeek has potential implications on vast swaths of America’s innovation industries—including energy. COMMENTARY While U.S. technology companies […]

The debate over just how much power will be needed to support the artificial intelligence (AI) industry became heated when a Chinese company said it has a low-cost AI model that could upend the sector’s energy needs. DeepSeek created a global stir after releasing information that said the company’s DeepSeek-V3 required less than $6 million […]

As an energy veteran with decades at the Department of Energy, I’ve witnessed the highs and lows of nuclear power in America. Now, with President Trump back in office, there’s an opportunity to not just revisit but truly revolutionize our approach to nuclear energy, particularly by closing the nuclear fuel cycle. This isn’t about starting […]

Two much-watched advanced nuclear fuel technology companies—Oklo and Lightbridge—will consider co-locating their commercial metallic fuel fabrication facilities to explore synergies and potentially accelerate innovation across the nuclear supply chain. Under a Jan. 28–announced memorandum of understanding (MOU), the companies plan to conduct a feasibility study that will explore co-locating a Lightbridge Commercial-scale Fuel Fabrication Facility […]

TerraPower, the nuclear energy company founded by former Microsoft CEO and co-founder Bill Gates, announced it has a memorandum of understanding with a major U.S. data center developer to deploy advanced nuclear reactors to power existing and future facilities. TerraPower on Jan. 21 said it will work with Sabey Data Centers (SDC) on “a strategic […]

Facing a projected surge in power demand across the country, NextEra Energy is taking steps to potentially restart its shuttered 615-MW Duane Arnold nuclear plant in Iowa as early as 2028, while also signing a new partnership with GE Vernova to develop natural gas generation projects that could be paired with renewable energy and storage. […]

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has selected Bechtel, Sargent & Lundy, and GE Hitachi to spearhead the initial planning and design phases for a potential BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) at its Clinch River Nuclear site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The collaboration, announced on Jan. 23, will leverage an innovative contracting model designed to streamline […]

South Carolina’s largest power provider Santee Cooper has issued a request for proposals (RFP) aimed at finding a buyer—or visionary—to take on what remains of the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station expansion. The two partly constructed AP1000 projects, abandoned in 2017 after a cascade of delays and cost overruns, could now offer a second chance […]

2025 will test the progress of the world’s energy transition and could forecast its direction for the next decade. With major economies pursuing budget cuts, it will be a year that challenges the economic viability of any publicly funded projects, with growing pressures to deliver faster and cheaper. For emerging technologies in particular, such as […]

As we enter 2025, the world’s growing need for charging large battery storage in vehicles is driving many changes in how we generate, transmit, distribute and use energy. Against this backdrop, four major trends are poised to impact the energy sector in the coming year and beyond. We expect significant advancements to be seen in […]

Advanced nuclear technology firm Oklo is partnering with Texas-based prime and backup solutions company RPower to roll out an innovative “phased energy model” that will combine natural gas and nuclear to offer a scalable and sustainable turnkey solution for data centers. The companies on Jan. 17 said they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to […]

Sweden has broken ground on its final repository for spent nuclear fuel (SNF)—a milestone reached after 40 years of research and development—making it the world’s second deep geological repository (DGR) now under construction. Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB (SKB), a nuclear fuel and waste management company owned by Sweden’s nuclear operators, officially announced the start of construction […]

Estonia energy company Fermi Energia has begun the site selection process for that country’s first nuclear power plant, more than a decade after government officials initially approved construction of a reactor. Fermi Energia on Jan. 14 announced the company has submitted an application to the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications to begin the […]

Competitive generation giant Constellation has agreed to acquire Calpine Corp. in a $16.4 billion deal that is set to create the largest producer of clean and reliable energy in the U.S. with an asset portfolio of more than 60 GW. The definitive agreement, announced on Jan. 10, includes a cash and stock transaction valued at […]

Deals involving the data center sector are occurring regularly, as tech companies make moves to ensure they have a reliable supply of power for their energy-intensive operations. Several generation types, both thermal and renewable, are being touted and pursued by groups involved with artificial intelligence (AI), data management, and cloud computing. Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web […]

Compared to recent years, which have been characterized by chronic energy shortages and price volatility, the world appears to be trundling toward a new energy market context, defined by an unprecedented

Nuclear power can be a highly important component of a country’s energy security strategy. This is true for several reasons. Nuclear plants provide consistent baseload power that is not dependent on weather

First Hualong One at Zhangzhou No. 1 Mega-Nuclear Plant Powers Up in China. China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC), on Nov. 28, successfully connected Zhangzhou Nuclear Power Plant No. 1, a 1.1-GW Hualong One

Eskom, South Africa’s major utility, said the second unit of the Koeberg nuclear power plant in that country was reconnected to the national grid after a major maintenance project. Eskom officials on Dec. 31 said the Koeberg plant, the only commercial nuclear power plant in Africa, again has about 1,860 MW of generation capacity. Eskom […]

The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) issued a construction license to Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) for Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5 (C-5), on Dec. 26. PAEC applied for the construction license in April this year, along with the preliminary safety assessment report (PSAR) and other licensing submissions covering design and operational aspects of […]

The outlook for the power generation sector in 2025 promises a continuation of the energy transition, though there’s plenty of debate about the direction of the industry. Advocates for renewable energy, particularly in the U.S., are concerned about how the incoming Trump administration—with its support for fossil fuels—could impact the growth of clean technologies. Utilities […]

The largest nuclear reactor in France is finally providing power to the country’s grid, more than a decade after it was expected to enter commercial operation. Flamanville 3, an EPR reactor located in Normandy, sustained a series of technical setbacks over the past several years. The 1,600-MW unit, now the most-powerful generating unit in France, […]

The Nuclear Company, which plans to deploy 6 GW of fleet-scale nuclear power across America, on Dec. 19 announced the issuance of a solicitation of interest to contractors in engineering, procurement and construction to support its first fleet. Contractors of all sizes and capabilities are encouraged to request invitations to the formal process. ‍The Nuclear […]