NUCLEAR POWER Direct
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Nuclear
Google Signs Deal to Buy Fusion Energy from Future Virginia Plant
Tech giant Google has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) to buy at least 200 MW of energy from CFS’s planned fusion-based power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
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Nuclear
Groups Partnering to Develop AI Software to Speed Nuclear Reactor Construction
A software group that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help automate processes said it was joining with a nuclear power deployment company on an AI-driven system to accelerate construction of nuclear reactors. Palantir Technologies on June 26 said it will work with The Nuclear Company, a nuclear power startup, to jointly create a nuclear operating […]
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Nuclear
Deadline vs. Deployment: Can U.S. Advanced Reactors Meet DOE’s 2026 Criticality Goal?
In a new pilot program, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued an ambitious challenge: bring at least three advanced nuclear test reactors to criticality by July 4, 2026. Announced in June, the program sidesteps traditional Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing, seeking instead to authorize full-scale reactors on private sites through DOE’s internal review process. […]
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Legal & Regulatory
DOE Pilot Program Targets Three Nuclear Test Reactors for 2026 Criticality Under Department Authorization
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a novel pilot program that will allow private developers to build and operate full-scale advanced nuclear test reactors outside of the national laboratory system, without a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Through a new authorization model grounded in the Atomic Energy Act and a Trump-era […]
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Nuclear
Understanding TerraPower’s Natrium Reactor Design and Demonstration Project Progress
In the proverbial shadow of the Naughton Power Plant, a station in Kemmerer, Wyoming, that will stop burning coal at the end of this year, TerraPower is constructing what it calls “the only advanced, non-light-water reactor in the Western Hemisphere being built today.” The project represents more than just a new power source—it’s a symbolic […]
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Nuclear
Centrus Completes 900-kg HALEU Delivery to DOE in U.S. Nuclear Fuel Enrichment Milestone
Centrus Energy has produced and delivered 900 kilograms (kg) of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), completing Phase II of its pioneering enrichment contract with the agency. The shipment marks the first significant domestic production of HALEU—a specialized fuel required for many advanced reactors now under development—and stands as a […]
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Nuclear
New York Gov. Says State Will Build New Nuclear Power Plant
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state is ready to build a utility-scale nuclear power plant and would seek funding from the private sector to make it a reality. The governor on June 23 provided few details about the project, except to say it likely would be located in an upstate location.
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nuclear
NuScale Advances SMR-Powered Desalination and Hydrogen Production with Integrated Brine Reuse Strategy
Small modular reactor (SMR) technology developer NuScale Power has unveiled research programs that could advance an energy system that integrates its nuclear technology to produce desalinated water and hydrogen, while reusing brine waste as an industrial feedstock. The research, developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and […]
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Nuclear
DOE Opens Door to Private-Sector Demonstrations at MARVEL Nuclear Microreactor Test Bed
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is inviting private-sector nuclear developers to submit proposals for experiments and demonstrations using its Microreactor Application Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) project. The first-of-its-kind operational test bed for advanced microreactor technologies is now 90% through its final design phase, with key components already under fabrication. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), […]
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Data Centers
Talen, Amazon Launch $18B Nuclear PPA—A Grid-Connected IPP Model for the Data Center Era
Talen Energy has restructured and significantly expanded its nuclear energy agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS), finalizing a 17-year, $18 billion power purchase agreement (PPA) that will supply up to 1,920 MW of carbon-free electricity from the 2.5-GW Susquehanna nuclear plant to Amazon’s data centers across Pennsylvania. The deal, announced on June 11, restructures a […]