ECA Participates in DOE's Kick-Off Meeting for Consent-Based Siting Consortia Partners
ECA Staff | 7/26/23 This week ECA participated in the official kick-off meeting hosted by the Department of Energy (DOE) for the 13 consortia awarded funding to engage with communities interested in consent-based siting for a federal consolidated interim storage facility. Along with ECA, awardees include university, nonprofit, and private-sector partners that will work both independently but also in coordination as the awards
require consortia to collaborate and confer regularly. ECA intends to use the funding awarded under this cooperative agreement to accomplish two key objectives: 1.Build capacity in communities interested in consent-based siting to ensure they have the information – and informed representatives - to meaningfully engage on the issues a community will address as a potential
host of a nuclear waste facility. ECA will develop a suite of resources, including lessons learned and engagement opportunities to create a shared understanding of the elements of “consent,” and to identify potential partners, challenges and champions.
2. Facilitate deeper engagement and (re)create momentum by distributing resources in the near- and longer-term for qualifying individual communities that demonstrate readiness to begin localized education and outreach to determine the potential for consent or to capture information that can help define the elements of consent.
This parallel-path approach will allow ECA to move forward with purpose: By hosting regional educational meetings in parallel with smaller, targeted local peer-to-peer engagement in qualifying potential host communities, ECA will help build
trust among the public, industry, policymakers and concerned parties – based on experience – that nuclear waste can be safely managed in a way that is protective of human health and the environment, and in a way that offers community-driven and risk-based economic opportunity. More information on how to engage with ECA on this effort is forthcoming, but an overview of ECA's approach as shared at
the kickoff meeting can be found here.
DOE to Host First "Cleanup To Clean Energy Industry Day"
DOE | 7/27/23 On July 28, 2023, the Department of Energy (DOE) is hosting an
Industry Day as part of its newly announced initiative to increase clean energy production by potentially leasing thousands of acres of DOE land for new emissions-free energy development.
Just last month on June 30th, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm directed that the Office of Environmental Management, Office of Legacy Management, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and the Office of Nuclear Energy identify lands presently available for carbon-free electricity development as well as those
potentially available for development in the future. During the meeting tomorrow, senior leaders from these offices will present their vision for this initiative, with additional site-specific industry days at DOE field sites to follow in the fall/winter timeframe. DOE has identified approximately 40,000 acres
of land potentially available for clean energy industry projects in Washington State (Hanford), New Mexico (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant), South Carolina (Savannah River Site), Idaho (Idaho National Laboratory), and Nevada (Nevada National Security Site). DOE’s goal is to identify and prioritize opportunities
where there is potential for onsite clean energy projects, to include soliciting feedback from industry and communities in terms of interest in utilizing DOE lands. These developments could include solar, wind, nuclear energy, hydroelectric, geothermal, clean hydrogen, and fossil resources that meet requirements with carbon capture and storage.
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REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
September 11-13,
2023
Arlington, VA
Join us for the 9th annual National Cleanup Workshop at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. Register today to hear from senior DOE leaders, local government officials, and industry leaders about the future of DOE’s Environmental Management program. *Rates increase on July 1, 2023. If you have questions or are interested in sponsorship, please contact Autumn Bogus at abogus@la-inc.com. For more information, please visit cleanupworkshop.com. |
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Kairos seeks construction licence for two-unit Hermes plant World Nuclear News Staff | 7/25/23
Kairos Power has submitted an application to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for
permission to build the Hermes 2 plant next to the Hermes molten salt test reactor it plans to build at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The two-unit demonstration plant would produce and sell electricity. The NRC is now assessing the application, which was submitted by Kairos on 14 July, to determine if it is acceptable and complete enough to begin the formal technical review
process. In June, the NRC issued a Final Safety Evaluation Report for the company's application to build the first Hermes molten salt test reactor - a 35 MW (thermal) non-power version of the company's fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactor, the KP-FHR, at Oak Ridge. The company expects to receive that construction licence later this
year. Hermes 2 is described by Kairos as an iteration that would demonstrate the complete architecture of future commercial plants at a smaller scale, building on the learnings from the Hermes reactor. Comprising two 35 MW (thermal) reactors - each the same size as the original test reactor - sharing a power generation system, Hermes 2's objectives would be
to further reduce risk on the path to commercialising the KP-FHR technology, demonstrating licensing, construction, operations, training, and decommissioning of a multi-reactor plant to help achieve cost certainty for the first commercial unit. According to the application, the earliest start date for construction of Hermes 2 is expected to be July
2025 with the first unit projected to be completed by July 2027 at the earliest and December 2027 at the latest. Construction of the second unit is expected to be completed one year after the first unit. An 11-year operating period is projected for each of the two test reactors. Kairos CEO Mike Laufer said Hermes 2 will leverage experience from the Hermes
demonstration reactor to advance the company's mission in East Tennessee. "While a few important details must fall into place before we can fully commit to building it, Hermes 2 presents a unique opportunity to accelerate commercial deployment of KP-FHR technology while bringing value to the local community over the long term," he said. The NRC has made
Kairos Power's application for the Hermes 2 construction permit publicly available. The company will require a separate licence to operate the reactor.
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The American Nuclear Society invites you to a special update on the Department of Defense's Project Pele program next Wednesday, August 2, from 2:00 - 3:00 pm ET. The deployment of advanced reactor technology can sometimes seem far away; however, the Department of Defense's Project Pele aims to change that discussion with a first deployment by 2025. Deploying micro nuclear technology for battlefield and other military applications could have huge impacts on logistics and reliability for the military of the future. Join us and hear unique perspectives on this
exciting project from two of the program's key leaders. This one-hour conversation will feature BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC, President, Joseph Miller, along with Jeff Waksman, Program Manager, from the Strategic Capabilities Office. Zeno Power Systems, Director of Space and Planetary Regulation, Alex Gilbert will serve as moderator.
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WA site once dedicated to powering nuclear weapons may soon generate clean energy Tri-City Herald | 7/25/23
The Department of Energy is proposing leasing some never-used land at the Hanford nuclear reservation site in
Eastern Washington for clean energy production. It has identified 40,000 acres of land potentially available for clean energy projects at Hanford, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico, the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, the Idaho National Laboratory and the Nevada National Security Site. Developments could include solar, wind, nuclear
energy, hydroelectric, geothermal, clean hydrogen, and fossil resources that meet clean energy requirements through carbon capture and storage, DOE said on Tuesday. More information on land available is expected to be shared on Friday when DOE holds a meeting in Washington, D.C., open to organizations that have started clean energy projects producing at least 200 megawatts of
electricity. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is expected to speak. An additional meeting at Hanford and each of the other sites will be held in the fall or winter, according to DOE. The land to be leased at Hanford would not be on the Hanford Reach National Monument, which is DOE land
managed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife. It was created out of the former security zone around the production portion of the nuclear reservation. It also is expected to be outside the secure entrances to Hanford, which includes the Wye Barricade about 10 miles north of Richland. Facilities already developed on Hanford land outside the Wye Barricade include the LIGO observatory, the HAMMER training facility and Energy Northwest’s
commercial nuclear power plant, the Columbia Generating Station. The land selected at each DOE site is about 2,000 contiguous acres or larger and is suitable for large scale — 200 megawatts or larger — projects, according to a notice in the Federal Register. Already solar energy projects are proposed just west of the Hanford nuclear reservation in Benton County
and a wind farm with up to 244 turbines is proposed for the Horse Heaven Hills just south of Kennewick. Energy Northwest also is working with X-energy to operate an advanced small modular reactor by the end of 2030 on Hanford site land it leases north of Richland. The project could be scaled up to produce as much as 960 megawatts of electricity. Even without
those new projects, about 40% of Washington state’s power is produced within a 100-mile radius of the Tri-Cities, according to the Tri-City Development Council. President Biden has set a goal to achieve clean, carbon-free electricity nationwide by 2030 and a net-zero economy by 2050, not only through effective policy implementation but also through the strategic use of facilities and
lands. “As the federal leader on clean-energy research and development and the steward of more than 2 million acres of land, DOE has both a unique opportunity and clear responsibility to lead and identify creative solutions to achieve the president’s mandate,” according to the Federal Register announcement. It will continue to work with industry, tribal
nations, communities, regulators and others as it moves toward developing clean energy projects on DOE land, it said. Among goals is creating good jobs, according to the Federal Register. The 586-square-mile Hanford site was used to produce nearly two-thirds of the plutonium for the nation’s nuclear weapons program from World War II through the Cold
War. Before the land was seized during World War II for the Manhattan Project development of an atomic bomb, it was used by Native Americans and by settlers who had orchards and farms. Now environmental cleanup of areas of the site contaminated with radioactive and hazardous chemical waste is underway. |
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The East TN Economic Council’s (ETEC) 5th Annual Nuclear Opportunities Workshop (NOW) offers both public and private nuclear industry professionals and students a place to learn about industry developments, business opportunities,
and advancements in research and technologies. With keynote speeches from U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann and U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy and 7 panel discussions, this 2-day conference is one you won’t want to miss! Register NOW and join ETEC
on August 1-2, 2023 at the Hilton Knoxville Airport located in the Oak Ridge Corridor.
Environmental cleanup at Department of Energy sites is a family affair. Each day, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, uncles and nephews show up together to perform the hazardous tasks and myriad support services necessary to carry out one of the world’s largest environmental cleanup missions. In
this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast, we introduce you to some of these families and learn what it’s like to work together in this challenging setting. |
Check out ECA's latest report! DISPOSAL DRIVES CLEANUP: RE-ENERGIZING MOMENTUM
FOR DISPOSAL SOLUTIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE WASTE
This report calls on the Department of Energy to launch the initiative to develop the actual waste disposition approaches. The Department could potentially save hundreds of billions of dollars in cleanup costs by using its available tools and implementing the report’s recommendations.
Interactive guide for communities and governments to help navigate nuclear waste cleanup The Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) recently released the Guide to Successful Environmental Cleanup, an interactive online resource that provides frequently asked questions, case studies, and recommendations regarding nuclear waste cleanup. To assist local government officials, their communities, and federal agencies in deciphering the complexities of the environmental cleanup process, ECA developed this guide to facilitate future successful cleanups. |
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Stay Current on Activities in the DOE World Read the latest edition of the ECA Bulletin, a regular newsletter providing a detailed brief of ECA activities,
legislative news, and major events from across the DOE complex. Have suggestions for future editions? Email bulletin@energyca.org. |
Learn More about Cleanup Sites with ECA's DOE Site Profiles ECA's new site profiles detail DOE's active Environmental Management cleanup sites and national laboratories,
highlighting their history, missions, and priorities. The profiles are a key source for media, stakeholders, and the public to learn more about DOE site activities, contractors, advisory boards, and their surrounding local governments. |
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