Nuclear

  • Why We’re Suing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission—and Still Believe in Nuclear Regulation

    At Deep Fission, we’re taking a radically different approach to nuclear energy: smaller, safer, faster to deploy—and located a mile underground. By placing reactors deep beneath the Earth’s surface, we use the natural containment of billions of tons of bedrock to dramatically improve safety and cut costs. COMMENTARY Liz Muller, CEO and co-founder of Deep […]

  • Radiant Selected by DOE to Receive Fuel for First Kaleidos Reactor Test

    A company working to mass produce portable nuclear microreactors said its has accepted its selection by the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) to receive high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel for the first test of Kaleidos, the group’s reactor design.

  • DOE’s Loan Programs Office Offers Game-Changing Possibilities

    As the presidential inauguration loomed on the horizon in January this year, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Loan Programs Office (LPO) published a “year-in-review” article, highlighting accomplishments from 2024 and looking ahead to the future. It noted that the previous four years had been the most productive in the LPO’s history. “Under the Biden-Harris […]

  • Canada Approves First Grid-Scale SMR Construction at Darlington

    The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has given Ontario Power Generation (OPG) the green light to begin building a 300-MW GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) at the Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP) site in Clarington, Ontario. The historic approval marks the first time Canada has approved the construction of a grid-scale SMR. The federal […]

  • DOE Allocates First Round of HALEU to Five U.S. Advanced Nuclear Reactor Developers

    In a critical step aimed at bolstering advanced reactor development and their domestic nuclear fuel readiness, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued its first round of allocations for high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) under its HALEU Availability Program to five American nuclear developers. On April 9, the DOE said it made conditional commitments to […]

  • Dow and X-energy Advance Landmark Nuclear Project in Texas With Construction Permit Filing

    Advanced reactor developer X-energy and global materials science company Dow have submitted a construction permit application (CPA) to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a first-of-its-kind small modular reactor (SMR) project at Dow’s Union Carbide Corp. (UCC) Seadrift Operations in Calhoun County, Texas. The filing marks a major step forward for the much-watched commercial-scale […]

  • TVA’s Clinch River Nuclear Power Project: Where Things Stand Today

    The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has for many years been evaluating emerging nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors, as part of technology innovation efforts aimed at developing the energy system of the future. TVA—the largest public power provider in the U.S., serving more than 10 million people in parts of seven states—currently operates seven reactors […]

  • POWER Digest [April 2025]

    U.S. Withdraws from Global Clean Energy Partnership. The U.S. has withdrawn from the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), a 2021-launched financing cooperation mechanism, that seeks to help a selection

  • What Was Learned from Building New Nuclear Reactors?

    Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle 3 and 4 are the only new reactors that have been built in the U.S. in over 30 years. At the start, Georgia Power executives claimed that, unlike the first two reactors, Vogtle 3

  • Nuclear-Powered Data Centers—What U.S. Developers Need to Know

    Recognizing their desirable attributes and long-term potential to meet data center demands for power, several technology companies have announced their intention to team up with nuclear developers. At the same time, three companies with shuttered nuclear plants have notified the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission of their plans to restart those facilities, which were closed for economic reasons.

  • Overcoming Engineering Challenges in Energy Generation

    This whitepaper from SimuTech Group explores how multiphysics simulation helps engineers solve performance and reliability challenges across the energy generation industry. Covering structural, thermal, fluid, and electromagnetic domains, it highlights practical applications across fossil, nuclear, hydro, wind, solar, and hydrogen systems. Backed by 40+ years of experience, SimuTech Group offers proven strategies to accelerate innovation […]

  • DOE Reissues $900M Nuclear SMR Opportunity, Scraps Community Criteria to Focus on Technical Merit

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has reissued a $900 million funding opportunity to accelerate deployment of Generation III+ small modular reactors (SMRs), removing community benefit requirements and shifting the focus solely to technical merit—a move that reflects the Trump administration’s revised energy and industrial priorities. The funding opportunity announcement (FOA)—officially designated DE-FOA-0003485—was first issued […]

  • The Virtual Nuclear Reactor

    The current fleet of nuclear reactors are based in huge imposing facilities generally located in isolated locations away from population centers.  This need not be the case. In the near future nuclear reactors will be regarded as portable, modular sources of safe and clean energy. Rather than being located in remote facilities hundreds of miles […]

  • America’s Nuclear Renaissance: How the TVA Can Lead Our Energy Future

    You may have heard of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), our nation’s largest public utility and source of cheap, clean, and reliable electricity for 10 million people. You may even know that its Board of Directors is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate, making it directly […]

  • Oklo Advances Siting, On Track for Aurora Nuclear Fast Reactor Deployment at INL in 2027

    Advanced nuclear firm Oklo has signed an Interface Agreement (IAG) with Idaho National Laboratory (INL), marking a key regulatory milestone in the siting and environmental review of its first commercial Aurora powerhouse—a compact passive fast-spectrum reactor—targeted for deployment at INL by late 2027. The IAG with INL—a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-owned and funded national […]

  • Trump Administration Backs $1.52B Loan for Palisades Nuclear Restart

    The Trump administration has released a second loan disbursement of $56.8 million to Holtec International as part of an up to $1.52 billion loan guarantee for the restart of the 800-MW Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan. The funding, a key step in reviving the shuttered facility, reinforces a loan guarantee initially issued under the Biden […]

  • Tech and Industry Giants Pledge to Triple Global Nuclear Power by 2050

    A coalition of large energy users—including Google, Amazon, Meta, Occidental, and Dow—have pledged their support for tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050. The cross-industry commitment, announced on the sidelines of CERAWeek by S&P Global in Houston, marks the first time large energy users beyond the nuclear sector have collectively backed such an extensive expansion of […]

  • Maryland Officials Support Gas Plants Among Cleaner Forms of Generation

    Maryland lawmakers have introduced a bill in the state legislature that sponsors say would provide an easier path to build new power plants, including natural gas-fired facilities, and lower utility bills for ratepayers as part of the process.

  • Tripling Nuclear Energy Capacity by 2050: Maximizing a High-Energy Future for Data Centres, Refineries, Manufacturing, and Beyond

    Next week, the world’s most influential energy conference, CERAWeek, will see more than 10,000 delegates assemble to hear from the industry’s leaders about the future of energy. The conference has traditionally been dominated by oil and gas, but in recent years, nuclear energy has become more prominent—and this year, World Nuclear Association will be there […]

  • Nuclear Power Renaissance Underway in West Texas

    When you think of innovative advancements in nuclear power technology, places like the Idaho National Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology probably come to mind. But today, some very exciting nuclear power development work is being done in West Texas, specifically, at Abilene Christian University (ACU). That’s where Natura Resources is working to construct […]

  • The SMR Gamble: Betting on Nuclear to Fuel the Data Center Boom

    Data center power demand is accelerating, pushing the grid to its limits and prompting tech giants to bet on next-generation nuclear reactors. But given steep costs, regulatory hurdles, and uncertain

  • AI Boom Reshapes Power Landscape as Data Centers Drive Historic Demand Growth

    The power industry was once considered slow-moving and perhaps even boring. That is no longer the case as technology has expanded and power demand projections skyrocket. New reports released by analysts at

  • Trump Energy Policy Changes Signal Major Industry Shifts in 2025 and Beyond

    There has been significant outrage from the left around changes the Trump administration has made since taking office, including actions that specifically affect the power industry. Yet, it’s not uncommon

  • Zimbabwe Joins Other African Nations in Pursuit of Nuclear Power

    Officials in Zimbabwe recently said the country will work with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and likely with investment from Russia, to develop a nuclear power program in the country. Zimbabwe

  • POWER Digest (March 2025)

    Major Solar-Plus-Storage Project Announced in Middle East. A solar-plus-storage project that could provide gigawatts of generation capacity was unveiled in January during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW)

  • Italy Passes Law to Bring Back Nuclear Energy

    Government officials in Italy have implemented a new law that allows for nuclear energy to return in the country, four decades after voters banned the technology in a 1987 referendum. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called the measure, adopted by the government on Feb. 28, a move toward energy security for Italy. The law, which […]

  • Siemens Energy Will Supply Turbines for Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactors

    Siemens Energy and Rolls-Royce SMR have entered into a partnership agreement that is expected to lead to the exclusive supply of conventional technology for future small modular reactors (SMRs). Under this agreement, Siemens Energy is to be the sole supplier of steam turbines, generators, and other auxiliary systems for the British manufacturer’s planned Generation III+ […]

  • Last Energy Secures Texas Site for 30-Microreactor Deployment to Power Data Centers

    Advanced nuclear plant developer Last Energy will build 30 microreactors at a site in Haskell County, Texas, a measure aimed at meeting the growing power demands of data centers across the state. The development comes as Texas faces increasing pressure to ramp up its power supplies to address an expansion of energy-intensive industries. The Washington […]

  • Kemmerer 1—TerraPower’s Pioneering Fourth-Generation Nuclear Project—Hits Key NRC Milestone Ahead of Schedule

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed its draft safety evaluation (SE) a month ahead of schedule—albeit with open items—for TerraPower’s Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1, a pioneering 345-MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) under development in Wyoming. Editor’s note: This article was substantially updated on Feb. 27 at 11 a.m. CST to provide deeper […]

  • Curtiss-Wright Secures TerraPower Contracts for Natrium Nuclear Reactor Simulation and Control Systems

    Curtiss-Wright Corp. said it has been awarded two contracts from TerraPower to design and supply plant simulation and digital control solutions for the Natrium advanced nuclear reactor design. Under the contracts, Curtiss-Wright will design and deliver the training simulator (TSN) and distributed control systems (DCS) for the Natrium plant. The TSN is a full-scope simulator that […]