REGISTRATION OPEN: JOIN ECA TO LEARN HOW TO CREATE & COMMUNICATE LEGISLATIVE & ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES 

Join ECA February 12 at 1:30pm ET for an engaging discussion around "Legislative and Administration Priorities – What to Know and How to Create". Hear firsthand from Hill and DOE Staff, as they provide context and insight into navigating the upcoming congressional year. 

This webinar will cover a suite of topics, such as:

• Identifying key leadership in the new administration, Congress, and DOE
• What are the top policies and priorities of the new Administration and Congress?
• The who, how, and why of creating and framing your governmental priorities
• How to best present priorities to Congressional leadership and DOE staff
• What to expect from the upcoming legislative year
• How does/will congress pass DOE appropriations and authorizations?
• ...and more! 

Please reach out to AJ Ridge, ECA Program Manager, at ajr@energyca.org with any questions.

A memorandum from the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) released Monday, January 27 that would have enforced a temporary pause of all federal financial assistance  was rescinded by the White House yesterday, January 29.

The White House explained that the original memo from the OMB had been rescinded "to end any confusion on federal policy created by the court ruling". The court ruling in question was a federal judge's order that temporarily and partially blocked the effort to freeze federal funding for grants and other programs on Tuesday, January 28.

The rescission follows a new memo from the OMB which clarified that the heads of executive departments and agencies should contact their general counsels "if you have questions about implementing the President's Executive Orders."

The  original memo announced a mandated temporary pause on all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance in order to effectively implement a string of executive orders issued by the President. This would have included all grants with the federal government for nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations, including ECA's grants with the Office of Environmental Management (EM) and the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE).

The pause was intended to provide the Administration with time to administer a complete and comprehensive analysis of all federal financial assistance programs to determine compliance with the President's executive orders. 

For more on the federal funding freeze, consider reading updates from Politico and the Associated Press (AP). 

Yesterday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Department of Nuclear Energy, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy, and the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) hosted the second in a series of webinars exploring Global Progress Towards Sustainable Endpoint Solutions for High-Level Waste & Spent Nuclear Fuel - Plans, Progress, and Key Factors for Managing and Disposing of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Sweden with Stakeholder Involvement.  

The webinar reflects on the process the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB, or SKB) embarked on to win community support, site, and begin construction on the world's second deep geologic repository (DGR). Sweden has joined a small but growing group of countries leading the charge to find a permanent solution to disposing of spent-nuclear fuel. 
This webinar hosted senior staff of SKB, the organization responsible for radioactive waste and spent fuel management in Sweden, as well as Mayor Fabian Sjöberg of Osthammar, the elected local official of the host community to the future DGR. A recording of the webinar will be posted later to the IAEA's website, which you can find by clicking here.
 Speakers: 

• Anni Fritzell - Manager Research and Post-Closure Safety, SKB, Sweden
• Fredrik De la Gardie - Funding expert, SKB, Sweden
• Anna Porelius - Head of Communication, SKB, Sweden
• Fabian Sjöberg - Mayor of Osthammar, Sweden
• Erik Lindgren - Project Director Spent nuclear fuel repository, SKB, Sweden

Moderators: 

• Marla Morales - Director, Office of Consent-Based Siting, US DOE/Office of Nuclear Energy, USA
• Seth Kirshenberg – Executive Director, ECA, USA
• Stefan Mayer – Team Leader, Radioactive Waste Disposal, IAEA

Topics Discussed:

• The nuclear waste management program of SKB and key developments;
• Funding the nuclear waste management program and its main cost drivers;
• Social acceptance - How to gain and manage trust;
• The journey to a DGR in Oesthammar – A community perspective (TBC); and
• Construction of SKB’s spent nuclear fuel repository, lessons learnt and success factors ahead.

The webinar series is designed to showcase  global progress towards providing endpoints for the management of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.

All webinars will be open to the public, providing opportunities for audience engagement and Q&A. 

The first webinar, Restarting the Siting Process for HLW and SNF Storage and Disposal, shares experiences from senior program representatives in national programs across Asia (Korea and Japan), Europe (Germany and UK) and North America (USA). A recording of the first webinar can be viewed on the IAEA's website, where you can monitor the whole series for new announcements on the topics above and recordings of future webinars, including yesterday's.

ENSURING LONG TERM SUCCESS: ECA TRANSITION PAPER FOR EM

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) must continuously examine its work and evolve. The Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) is calling on the next Administration to launch a comprehensive review of all aspects of the EM program. To meet the challenges and better ensure the continued success of the DOE-EM program, the ECA’s Transition paper offers the following recommendations:

• Ensure Safe and Available Disposal Capability is Available for All Waste Aligned with Local Community Needs
• Re-assess Use of End-State Contracting
• Ensure Regulatory Agreements are Reasonably Achievable and Balance Short- and Long-Term Needs
• Improve Workforce Planning to Address EM “Brain Drain” and Ensure EM is Well Integrated with Other DOE Programs
• Maintain Robust Local Community Engagement 
• Continue to Focus on Economic/Energy Development Benefits From Cleanup
• Clarify that DOE Will Fully Investigate and Remediate Hazardous Materials Discovered at Completed Sites 
• Reconstitute a Dedicated Nuclear Waste Organization Within DOE

WHAT YOU'VE MISSED:

NextEra files with NRC for potential Duane Arnold restart

Read the full story

On the road to advanced nuclear in Stokes County

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 - Guy Taylor: The Impact of Trump and Technology on Global Security

January 21, 2025 | S02 E202

In this episode of NucleCast, host Adam Lowther engages with Guy Taylor, the national security editor at the Washington Times, to discuss the current state of global security amidst a significant transition of power in the U.S. They explore the implications of Trump's second term, the unpredictable nature of his administration, and the intersection of technology and national security. The conversation also delves into the pressing issue of balancing defense spending with entitlement programs, the potential for privatization in weapons development, and the hopes for a more peaceful global landscape in the coming years.

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

UPCOMING MEETINGS: