REGISTER NOW - MOVING NEW NUCLEAR PROJECTS FORWARD FORUM IS ONLY TWO WEEKS AWAY!
ECA's fourth annual New Nuclear Forum: Moving New Nuclear Projects Forward is only two weeks away! Held from April 22-24 in Idaho
Falls, ID with support from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy and the Idaho National Laboratory, ECA's New Nuclear Forum is the premier gathering for nuclear developers and local leaders evaluating opportunities for new nuclear programs. The agenda is packed with critical discussions and presentations from key leaders, including:
This is your chance to gain exclusive knowledge from industry leaders. 🔗 Don't miss out - secure your seat now! A very special thanks to all of our sponsors that are supporting our communities and ECA. This week we want to highlight our networking sponsors, Terrestrial Energy and
Fluor for supporting the ECA Forum and contributing to this must-attend event!
Terrestrial Energy is an industry-leading technology company committed to delivering reliable, emission-free, and cost-competitive nuclear energy with a transformative advanced reactor, the Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR). IMSR plants generate high temperature heat for direct industrial use and for high efficiency electricity generation. With many industrial
uses and compelling economic potential, IMSR plants are a powerful tool to drive economic growth, support energy security, and achieve net-zero quickly. To learn more about Terrestrial Energy's mission, visit their website.
Fluor provides engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services to clients across a variety of energy markets. They are an essential partner in the production of safer, cleaner and sustainable energy solutions to meet the world's increasing demand. The Portsmouth Decontamination & Decommissioning (D&D) contract is being executed by Fluor-BWXT
Portsmouth, LLC, a Fluor-led partnership. A team of contractors and a workforce of more than 1,900 are working to decontaminate and decommission more than 10 million square feet of contaminated facilities at the DOE plant. To learn more about Fluor's work, visit their website. We greatly appreciate our sponsors' continued commitment to engage with local governments and promote new nuclear development and innovation. To learn more about our sponsors and Forum sponsorship opportunities, visit our website!
ADVANTAGES AND CHALLENGES OF NUCLEAR-POWERED DATA CENTERS
Department of Energy | April 8, 2025 The Department of Energy (DOE) published the following article earlier today, providing a list of both the advantages and challenges of nuclear energy powering AI data centers. This is an issue ECA looks forward to discussing at the the New Nuclear Forum:
Moving New Nuclear Projects Forward. Please find the intro to the article, below: "We are living in the data center revolution. Nearly everything in our lives is now linked to the vast architecture of information crisscrossing the planet, including our work, our communication, our banking, and our entertainment. With the rise in data centers has come rising energy demands. Artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies require tremendous amounts of stable electricity generation, and some reports estimate that data centers could consume up to 12% of total U.S. energy production in 2028. So, how are we going to
meet those needs? Nuclear has the potential to be a great partner for the data centers of today and tomorrow — but there are hurdles to clear." To read the full article from DOE, click here.
NEUTRON BYTES EDITORIAL: DOE’s DATA CENTER RFI & DOGE FIRINGS OF AGENCY STAFF DON'T MIX
Neutron Bytes | April 5, 2025 There are multiple problems with
DOE’s plan to put AI data centers at federal lab sites. The first is that complex and lengthy federal site selection and approval requirements will encounter a head-on collision with data centers needs which are driven by a paradigm of “need it built yesterday.” Second, this ambitious milestone of having a AI data center operating on electricity from
an SMR or micro reactor at a federal site by 2027 runs up against the reality that no SMR or micro reactor will be ready by that date. This means any new data centers developed on federal sites will use the existing power grids and whatever generation plants support it. While NuScale is licensed for its 50 MWe SMR, none are under construction. None of the other SMR or micro reactor developers have yet submitted their
designs for NRC review which means even breaking ground is unlikely to occur until the end of this decade. Third, and most serious, is that the Administration’s slash and burn approach to cutting federal staff seems not to be very far off from the axiom “off with the heads” regardless of whose head is axed. To read the full editorial, click here.
UPDATED IAEA PRESENTATION - THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
The IAEA has published an updated presentation detailing the steps of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle. Please see the presentation's Introduction below: "The various activities associated with the production of electricity from nuclear power reactors are referred to collectively as the nuclear fuel cycle. The cycle starts with the mining of uranium and ends with the disposal of nuclear waste. The raw material for today’s nuclear fuel is mainly uranium. It must be processed through a series of steps to produce an efficient fuel for generating electricity. Spent fuel also needs to
be taken care of for recycling or disposal. The nuclear fuel cycle comprises the ‘front end’, i.e. preparation of the fuel, the ‘service period’ in which fuel is used during reactor operation to generate electricity, and the ‘back end’, i.e. the safe management of spent nuclear fuel including reprocessing and recycling, and disposal. If spent fuel is not reprocessed, the fuel cycle is referred to as ‘open’ or ‘once-through’ fuel cycle; if spent fuel is reprocessed, and recycled, it is referred
to as ‘closed’ nuclear fuel cycle." Understanding the nuclear fuel cycle is key to understanding new nuclear development, and all things nuclear. To view the full presentation, click here.
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.
September 23 - 25, 2025 | Crystal Gateway
Marriott | Arlington, VA
Hosted by ECA with the cooperation of the Energy Facility Contractors Group and DOE-EM, the workshop brings together more than 800 senior DOE executives, officials from DOE sites, industry leaders, local elected
officials, contractors and community stakeholders to discuss EM’s progress to address the environmental legacy of the Manhattan Project and Cold War-era U.S. nuclear weapons program. Hear from senior DOE leaders, local government officials, and industry leaders about DOE's cleanup priorities, the future of the workforce, and more.
The National Cleanup Workshop is hosted by the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) with the cooperation of the Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG) and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM)*.
WHAT YOU'VE MISSED: Indiana to host nuclear energy retreat Gov. Mike Braun said Monday Indiana will host a retreat aimed at enhancing nuclear energy education and engagement as the state continues to craft a strategy
for utilizing the energy resource. The retreat is co-sponsored by the National Governors Association and the U.S. Department of Energy and is slated for this summer. Specific dates will be released in the coming weeks. Read the full story Nuclear's future discussed at MURR expansion ANS Executive Director/CEO Craig Piercy recently spoke on nuclear power’s potential for answering today’s
energy demands as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series at the University of Missouri. He also took part in the ribbon cutting for a large addition to the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR). Read the full story Deep Fission, Deep Isolation ink MoU Under the memorandum of understanding, the partnership will explore the management of used fuel from Deep Fission's
advanced underground reactors using Deep Isolation's patented underground disposal technology. Read the full story
NucleCast - James Graham Wilson: The Legacy of Paul Nitze: A Cold Warrior's Journey Apr. 8, 2025 | S02 E213 James Graham Wilson explores the life and legacy of Paul Nitze, a pivotal figure in U.S. national security and Cold War history. This Legacy Series highlights Nitze's early life, his influential roles in shaping U.S. defense policy, and his lasting impact on strategic debates. The dialogue delves into Nitze's contributions during critical moments in history, including
the Cold War and the Reagan administration, while also reflecting on the lessons learned for contemporary national security challenges. https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/
ECA New Nuclear Forum 2025 Idaho Falls, ID | April 22 - 24 Register Here National Cleanup Workshop 2025 Arlington, VA | September 23 - 25 Learn More Here
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