ECA Update 03/17: CONTINUING RESOLUTION EXTENDING FUNDING UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30 PASSED AND APPROVED; and more

Published: Mon, 03/17/25

CONTINUING RESOLUTION EXTENDING FUNDING UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30 PASSED AND APPROVED

Last Friday (March 14) Congress narrowly avoided a government shutdown when the Senate passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) extending FY2024 funding until September 30, just before the March 14 deadline of the past CR. The 54-46 vote of passage sent the bill to President Donald Trump’s desk, where he signed his approval of the measure.

The CR will fund provide funding at FY2024 levels. This serves as an effective funding cut at many sites due to inflation. Please see the charts below to see FY2024 enacted budget line items; the level of funding under “FY2024 Enacted” aligns with the CR. To see the CR for yourself, click here.

See funding lines by Site below:

ECA expects the President's FY2026 proposal to come out in the coming weeks. For more information on the budget, visit ECA’s website.

NRC CHAIR DAVID A. WRIGHT TO SPEAK AT ECA'S NEW NUCLEAR FORUM

📢 Big News! Energy Communities Alliance is thrilled to welcome David A. Wright as a speaker during the New Nuclear Forum.📢

🎤 Speaker Spotlight!

David A. Wright, Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) brings important perspective and experience to the Energy Communities Alliance’s New Nuclear Forum.

He will be sharing insights on Planning, Licensing and Risk Reduction: A View from the NRC, covering:

🔹 Insight on priorities under the new Administration and Congress

🔹 Outlook for licensing new nuclear projects

This is your chance to gain exclusive knowledge from industry leaders. Will we see you there?

🔗 Secure your seat now. Register below!

NEW ECA REPORT - FROM THE ATOMIC AGE TO NEW NUCLEAR: ENERGY COMMUNITIES READY TO HELP UNLEASH NUCLEAR POWER

Communities across the country that were once home to government nuclear sites and/or former commercial energy plants are ready to help the United States today unleash the next wave of nuclear technologies, according to a new white paper from the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA). In its paper, “From the Atomic Age to New Nuclear,” ECA outlines a host of projects either underway or currently planned at sites across the county to support new nuclear development across the fuel cycle.

READ THE REPORT HERE

WHAT YOU'VE MISSED:

Annual NRC assessments issued to U.S. nuclear plants

Letters have been issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to the nation’s 94 operating commercial nuclear reactors regarding their performance in 2024, the agency reported yesterday. The assessment letters are issued annually.

The letters to 85 of the reactors note that they have made the NRC’s highest performance category for 2024 in safety and security. These reactors have been placed in the NRC’s “baseline” inspection program, which involves thousands of inspection hours for each reactor.

Read the full story

Some SMRs could bypass environmental review step under Arizona bill

SMRs in rural Arizona would be exempt from review if the units are colocated with certain large industrial loads or built at power plants that previously received environmental certification.

Read the full story

Top US CEO to Europe: We can unite on nuclear power

Patrick Fragman, CEO of Westinghouse, the major American nuclear power company, believes Europe and the United States are still ideal partners to build a European Union atomic network — even as the new U.S. president sends people racing to their own corners. Europe, he told POLITICO in an interview, must “realize that cooperation can make sense.”

Read the full story

NEW MEDIA:

Gone Fission Nuclear Report - New ORANO Plant Boosts Nuclear Growth

December 09, 2024 | S4 E20

It’s being called the largest investment in the history of the State of Tennessee. Orano USA has announced plans to build a new multi-billion dollar, state-of-the-art centrifuge uranium enrichment plant in Oak Ridge. The facility will provide fuel for America’s nuclear power plants and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign sources. In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report, host Michael Butler discusses this exciting project with Orano USA President Jean-Luc Palayer.

www.gonefissionpodcast.com

NucleCast - James R Howe: Nuclear Deterrence, A New Era

Mar. 11, 2025 | S02 E209

In this episode of NucleCast Future Series with Warrior Maven, Kris Osborn interviews James Howe on the critical issues surrounding nuclear deterrence, focusing on low yield nuclear weapons, the strategic arsenals of Russia and China, and the implications of advanced technologies in modern warfare. The conversation delves into the current state of nuclear capabilities, the risks posed by tactical nuclear weapons, and the future of strategic deterrence in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape.

https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/