NUCLEAR ORGANIZATIONS AND FIRMS URGE DOE TO PRESERVE LOAN PROGRAMS OFFICEIn a letter addressed to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Christopher Wright, a group of thirty (30) public policy groups and private firms, many supportive or
involved with nuclear energy, encouraged DOE to protect DOE’s Loans Program Office (LPO) from funding cuts to ensure it could “fully carry out its mission”. The letter specifically advises the office to the LPO’s “specialized
staff”, “preserve the LPO’s robust financing capabilities”, and maintain the integrity of the LPO as a financial institution. The letter places a special focus on how neglecting the LPO could stall American new nuclear energy development, endangering American interests and “weakening American competitiveness”. It notes that the LPO has been instrumental in funding new nuclear development already, including a long-standing loan for Plant Vogtle’s AP1000 Reactors, and a 1.52 billion loan to Holtec to restart the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan, which would create 600 jobs and generate 800 mwe of energy for the grid. According to the letter, the projects that the LPO supports are “commercial scale-infrastructure efforts that reduce electricity costs, bolster domestic production, and rebuild American industry.” To read the letter, click here.
DOE TO DISTRIBUTE FIRST AMOUNTS OF HALEU TO AMERICAN ADVANCED REACTOR DEVELOPERSDOE announced allotments of HALEU last week (April 9) - a big leap towards the deployment of advanced
reactor designs. This represents an important step to improving the domestic supply chain for advanced reactor fuel. It is an integral piece to the new nuclear puzzle. The initial supply of HALEU will come from the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)-managed stockpiles located at several federal sites, including several sites neighboring ECA member communities. These
include the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee, the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, and the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). See the full original announcement from DOE below: "WASHINGTON, D.C. —The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today made conditional commitments to provide high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to five U.S. nuclear developers to meet their near-term fuel needs. This first round of HALEU allocations brings innovative American nuclear technologies one step closer to commercialization and will expand the use of nuclear energy to deliver more secure, affordable, and reliable energy to
the American people.
“The Trump Administration is unleashing all sources of affordable, reliable and secure American energy – and this includes accelerating the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. “Allocating this HALEU material will help U.S. nuclear developers deploy their advanced reactors with materials sourced from secure supply chains, marking an important step forward in President Trump’s program to revitalize America’s nuclear
sector.”
Many advanced reactors will need HALEU to achieve smaller designs, longer operating cycles, and increased efficiencies over current technologies, but HALEU is not currently available from domestic suppliers.
To help fill this gap, DOE created the HALEU allocation process for nuclear developers to request HALEU material from DOE sources, including material from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). DOE received HALEU requests from 15 companies. For this first
round, DOE identified five of those companies that met prioritization criteria, with three of them requiring fuel delivery in 2025. The five companies that received conditional commitments are:
• TRISO-X, LLC.
• Kairos Power, LLC.
• Radiant Industries, Inc.
• Westinghouse Electric Company,
LLC
• TerraPower, LLC. The allocated HALEU supports both Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) Pathway 1 award recipients, companies planning to demonstrate in the DOME test bed, along with some ARDP risk reduction awardees – reinforcing DOE’s commitment to our industry partnerships.
As a next step, DOE will initiate the contracting process to allocate the material to the five companies,
some of which could receive their HALEU as early as this fall. The allocation process is ongoing, and DOE plans to continue HALEU allocations to additional companies in the future.
The first round of conditional commitments of HALEU were made through the HALEU Availability Program, which was established in 2020 to secure a domestic supply of HALEU for civilian domestic research, development, demonstration, and commercial use.
Learn more about DOE’s HALEU Availability Program at HALEU Availability Program | Department of Energy." To see the original article from DOE, please click here.
ADMINISTRATION ORDERS DOE & NRC TO SUNSET REGULATIONS
On Wednesday, April 9, President Donald Trump issued an executive order (EO) “Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting to Unleash
American Energy”, requiring that the the Department of Energy (DOE); Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (ACE), add “sunset” dates to regulations related to energy production. Regulations would effectively expire after the implemented sunset date. The EO would also impact sub-agencies of the Department of Interior (DOI) such as the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS). It directs all affected agencies to issue a rule by September 30, 2025, that would insert a "conditional" sunset date of September 30, 2026 into their regulations. Regulations would expire on that date unless "the agency finds an extension is warranted." The sunset date can be extended "as many times as is appropriate, but never to a date more than 5 years in the future,"
according to the EO. The EO does not lay out any specific criteria for an agency to determine how an extension may be warranted, saying only that it should come after the agency offers the "public an opportunity to comment on the costs and benefits of each regulation." The EO also grants the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) the power to exempt any rule that would have "a net deregulatory effect." A rule will cease to be effective after its sunset date, according to the EO. "An agency shall not take any action to enforce such an ineffective regulation and, to the maximum extent permitted by law, shall remove it from the Code of Federal Regulations," the EO stated. To read the President’s EO, click here. ECA will continue to provide updates on how the Administration’s actions will affect energy communities. To learn more, visit our website.
REGISTER NOW - NEW NUCLEAR FORUM: MOVING PROJECTS FORWARD IS LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY!
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. We are highlighting all of our networking sponsors, Terrestrial Energy, Fluor, and VERTical 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. VERTical Innovation Cluster is a vast coalition driving next-generation nuclear power deployment by convening collaborative project groups to solve industrywide challenges. Administered by Port of Benton, VERTical is based in the Northwest, the most robust clean energy region in the U.S., with experienced developers, operators and workers alongside researchers and trailblazers. Their
collective efforts contribute to decarbonization goals, energy efficiency, equity and resiliency for communities everywhere. To learn more about VERTical's mission, 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!
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 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: Trump’s pick for NNSA administrator testifies before Senate committee Brandon Williams appeared before the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Armed Services this week to answer questions on how he
would lead the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, if confirmed for the job. President Donald Trump announced Williams as his pick for the NNSA role in January. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he was
personally involved in the selection of Williams for the role, telling the Exchange Monitor in January, “He’s a smart, passionate guy [who] wants to defend our
country.” Read the full story Westinghouse and Celeros FT Sign MoU for AP1000® and AP300™ Projects Peterborough, Ontario, April 9, 2025 – Westinghouse Electric Company and Celeros Flow Technology (Celeros FT) announced today they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to support nuclear new-build projects in Canada and globally. Under the agreement, Celeros FT has the potential to design and fabricate valves and pumps for key AP1000® and AP300™
projects. Read the full story Will Palisades be the “comeback kid”? Mike Mlynarek believes in this expression: “In the end it will be OK; and if it’s not OK, it’s not the end.” As the site vice president at Palisades nuclear power plant in Covert Township, Mich., Mlynarek is overseeing one of the most exciting projects in the United States nuclear power industry. If all goes according to plan,
Holtec’s Palisades plant will be splitting atoms once again by the end of 2025 and become the first U.S. nuclear facility to restart after being slated for decommissioning. 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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