nuclear
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Commentary
Nuclear Industry Ponders Risks of Building New Reactors
Everybody is now jumping on the pro-nuclear bandwagon. With U.S. electricity demand ramping up due to the rapid build-out of energy-intensive data centers across the country, there is finally broad political and business support for dispatchable 24/7 nuclear power to help meet projected load growth and ensure overall grid reliability. The Trump White House, the […]
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News and Notes
POWER Digest August 2025
MHI to Supply Four Circulating Water Pumps for Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant in China. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) received an order for the supply of four circulating water pumps (CWP) for Units 5 and
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Legislative
One Big Beautiful Bill Act: What It Means to the Power Industry
On July 4, 2025, President Trump officially signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) into law. The White House called it “a once-in-a-generation piece of legislation.” The power sector is among
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Legal & Regulatory
Nuclear Power: A Critical Pillar for U.S. Economic Growth and National Security
Nuclear power has emerged as a linchpin for U.S. goals for energy and national security. The nuclear sector has a long history of bipartisan support in the federal government.
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Press Releases
Mirion Technologies Launches Vital Platform for Nuclear Industry
Mirion Technologies, a leading provider of advanced radiation safety solutions, has announced the launch of the Vital Platform. This software offers a single, unified system for accessing data across nuclear power sites to work more efficiently, enhance worker safety, and solve operational challenges faster. The launch includes the platform’s first application, Vital Supervision, designed to […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Nuclear Fusion, Climate Change, and IP Rights: Striking the Right Balance
Net power through nuclear fusion may finally be within reach. Fusion technology is moving out of the lab, and many companies, driven by the shared dream of carbon-free energy to combat climate change, are striving to commercialize technologies to make fusion a reality.
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Nuclear
Westinghouse, ITER Sign $180-Million Contract to Advance Nuclear Fusion
Westinghouse Electric Co. and officials with the ITER project in France signed a contract for $180 million for the assembly of the vacuum vessel for the fusion reactor. This is a key milestone in the construction of the ITER reactor, leading the way toward the use of fusion as a practical future source of reliable carbon-free energy.
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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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Commentary
Energy Policy—We Can’t Afford to Hit ‘Pause’ Now
As Donald Trump took office in January, the administration immediately declared a national energy emergency, explaining that “we need a reliable, diversified and affordable supply of energy to drive our Nation’s manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and defense industries.” Both ends of the political spectrum agree that the U.S. desperately needs more power on the grid—among other […]
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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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Commentary
Safe, Secure, Economically Viable Nuclear Fuel Recycling is Here
Nuclear reprocessing technology has advanced significantly in the 80 years since aqueous technologies were developed near the end of World War II, thanks to innovation from the private sector in the U.S. Having taken up the challenge of developing a proliferation-resistant, efficient, and profitable way to recycle used nuclear fuel, American companies like Curio are […]
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Trends
The Great Shift: Navigating the Global Energy Transition
As the world grapples with the urgent need to combat climate change, the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is accelerating, driven by technological advancements and governmental directives. This global shift promises not only to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also to create a more sustainable and resilient energy future. The world stands […]
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Nuclear
Russia Has Deal to Build Eight Nuclear Power Plants in Iran
The president of Iran’s nuclear energy agency said officials in that country have signed an agreement with Russia for construction of at least eight nuclear power plants in Iran. Mohammad Eslami, president of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), confirmed the deal on June 9 during a visit by members of the Iranian parliament’s […]
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Nuclear
Meta Deal with Constellation Will Keep Illinois Nuclear Plant Open
Technology group Meta, the parent of Facebook and Instagram, has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Constellation Energy to take about 1.1 GW of electricity from Constellation’s Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois. Meta and Constellation on June 3 said the contract means the power plant will continue to operate beyond its expected closure in 2027.
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Commentary
Deep Isolation Welcomes Presidential Action to Reinvigorate U.S. Nuclear Waste Disposal Program
Deep Isolation, a leading innovator in nuclear waste disposal technology, in a news release said the group applauds the suite of executive orders signed by President Trump on May 23. The orders prioritize revitalizing the nuclear industrial base, accelerating the deployment of advanced reactors, and advancing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) […]
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Nuclear
Only Nuclear Power Plant in U.S. Northwest Set to Add Generating Capacity
The only commercial nuclear power plant in the U.S. Pacific Northwest is set for a $700-million upgrade that would add nearly 200 MW of generation capacity. The Columbia Generating Station in Richland, Washington, with a current capacity of 1,207 MW, will undergo an extended power uprate that will be done during the plant’s next three biennial spring refueling outages in 2027, 2029, and 2031.
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Nuclear
Estonia Plans 600-MW Nuclear Power Plant Utilizing BWRX-300 SMRs
Government officials in Estonia announced the country will initiate a spatial planning process and an environmental impact assessment for construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant.
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Commentary
Nuclear Is the Key to Winning AI Race
The deciding factor in the artificial intelligence (AI) race may come down to our ability to provide new data centers what they need most: massive amounts of constantly available electricity. In the U.S., data centers and their need to accommodate AI account for about half the projected growth of electricity demand through 2030. But the […]
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Nuclear
Google Will Fund Three Nuclear Projects with Elementl Power
A nuclear power project developer said it has a deal with Google, with the technology company agreeing to commit funding for at least three projects that each would have 600 MW of generation capacity. Elementl Power, founded in 2022 and based in Greer, South Carolina, on May 7 said Google would help the company move toward its goal of bringing more than 10 GW of nuclear power capacity online by 2035.
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Nuclear
Groups Collaborate on Projects for Fusion Energy in Germany
Government officials in Germany are supporting development of a nuclear fusion pilot plant. Officials have said they want nuclear fusion to be a priority of the country’s energy agenda, barely two years after the country decommissioned its last three operating nuclear power plants in April 2023 at the direction of then-chancellor Angela Merkel.
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Renewables
POWER Digest [May 2025]
Major German BESS Project Closes Financing. Energy transition bank NORD/LB announced it has closed an €87 million ($94 million) financing package with Nofar Energy for construction of a 104.5-MW/209-MWh
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Energy Security
What Trump’s First 100 Days Have Meant to the Power Industry
U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn into office for the second time on Jan. 20, 2025. That means April 30 marks his 100th day back in office. A lot has happened during that relatively short period of time (Figure 1). The Trump administration has implemented sweeping changes to U.S. energy policy, primarily focused on promoting […]
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Nuclear
DOE Releases More Funding to Reopen Palisades Nuclear Plant
Energy Secretary Chris Wright on April 22 announced the release of the third loan disbursement to Holtec for the reopening of the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan.
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Nuclear
Group Projects 100-GW Rise in Global Nuclear Power Capacity Across Next Decade
A new report from GlobalData, a data and analytics group, projects global nuclear power capacity will hit 494 GW by 2035. The group said capacity gains will be tied to advancements in deployments of small modular reactors (SMRs), along with the continuing worldwide shift to cleaner forms of energy.
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Commentary
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 […]
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Nuclear
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.
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Commentary
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
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Commentary
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.