TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS & WHAT TO KNOW THIS WEEK
- Breaking News TODAY - Nuclear startup to build $1.5B uranium enrichment plant in Paducah, Kentucky on DOE land
- Join ECA September 10 for a webinar: Investing in Innovation - Financing Advanced Nuclear
Projects!
- Register now for the National Cleanup Workshop, September 24 - 25!
- Appropriations Watch: ECA expects a continuing resolution (CR) prior to Sept. 30. Check out ECA's budget tracker at the bottom of this newsletter for detailed appropriations numbers
- Nuclear
technology companies interested in doing business in Gillette, WY
- DOE Announces First Pilot Project for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Lines
- Reps. Levin, Lawler Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Require On-Site Inspectors at Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants
- Visit ECA on LinkedIn for regular
updates
$1.5 BILLION URANIUM ENRICHMENT FACILITY TO BE BUILT IN PADUCAH, KENTUCKY
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and nuclear startup General Matter announced a project to reuse a 100-acre parcel of federal land at the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant for a new $1.5 billion private-sector domestic uranium enrichment facility in Paducah, KY, Politico reported this morning (August 5). The new plant could be brought online as early as 2030, and would create 140 jobs and bring in over $1 billion in local investment. “Leveraging the resources of the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, including its skilled nuclear workforce and existing infrastructure, is unlocking private funding and fast-tracking commercial licensing activities,” DOE Office of Environmental Management
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Roger Jarrell said. “The administration’s commitment to reducing barriers for American energy development is enabling the Office of Environmental Management to transform liabilities into opportunities, unleashing American energy, supporting national security and enabling U.S. innovation and jobs.” Bruce Wilcox, president and CEO of Greater Paducah
Economic Development, said “Our greater vision for the community is to have a whole supply chain, from fuel enrichment to fuel fabrication to power generation, and have the consumer on site there as well or even possibly feed the grid”. Read the original story from Politico here (subscription required). See the story as reported as KVFS here.
HOW ARE NUCLEAR PROJECTS FUNDED? LEARN MORE WITH ECA!
Financing is key to facilitating and moving forward advanced nuclear projects and ensuring their success. Financing for these projects can come from various sources, including: - Venture capital;
- Private Investors;
- Institutions;
- Governments;
- and other parties
Join ECA as we explore the key issues and solutions to today’s financing challenges, and how the financial feasibility of such projects can be improved at both the demonstration and commercialization stages of development.
Speakers to be announced in the coming weeks! Please contact AJ Ridge, ECA Program Director, with any questions at ajr@energyca.org.
To make sure you don't miss anything, be sure to subscribe to the ECA Update below!
JOIN US FOR THE 11TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CLEANUP WORKSHOP
September 24 - 25, 2025 | Crystal Gateway Marriott | Arlington, VA Join us September 24-25 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott - Arlington, VA, where we’ll explore how
the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management is working to drive down risks while also building up new opportunities for communities and the nation.
WHO'S SPEAKING?
Roger Jarrell | Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary, DOE-EM
James McConnell | Acting Principal Deputy Administrator, NNSA
Greg Sosson | Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Field Operations, DOE-EM
Kristen Ellis | Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regulatory and Policy Affairs, DOE-EM
Brent Gerry | Mayor, City of West Richland, WA; Chair, ECA
Rebecca Casper | Mayor, City of Idaho Falls, ID; Vice-Chair, ECA
Jonathan “JD” Dowell | Senior Vice President, Fluor
Heatherly Dukes | President, BWXT Technical
Services Group
DJ Johnson | Vice President, Federal Solutions Business Enterprise, Honeywell Federal Solutions; Chair, EFCOG
Mark Johnson | Principal Vice President, High Level Waste Facility, Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP), Bechtel
Jeff Kendall | President, AtkinsRéalis U.S. Nuclear
Michael Lempke | President, Nuclear and Environmental Services,
HII
Mark Whitney | President, Amentum
...and more!
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Wednesday, September 24 8:00am National Cleanup
Workshop 5:30pm Evening Reception for all NCW Attendees Thursday, September 25
8:00am National Cleanup Workshop SPONSORSHIP
NCW sponsorships offer an excellent opportunity to showcase your
company, maximize networking opportunities with attendees, and host an exhibit booth during the forum. Click here to learn more! STAY CONNECTED
ECA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-communities-alliance
EFCOG Twitter: @EFCOG_now
DOE EM Twitter: @EMcleanup
#NationalCleanupWorkshop SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS 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: Nuclear technology companies interested in doing business in Gillette, mayor says GILLETTE — Nuclear energy may soon have a home alongside oil and coal in the energy capital of the nation. Gillette Mayor Shay Lundvall said Wednesday that multiple nuclear technology companies have expressed interest in establishing themselves in Gillette — but no permanent decisions have been made. “I am aware that there are some potential companies looking into Gillette, but nothing has been solidified,” Lundvall
said. Read the full story Energy Department
Announces First Pilot Project for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Lines WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
today announced the next steps in the Trump administration’s efforts to strengthen domestic supply chains for nuclear fuel. DOE has conditionally selected Standard Nuclear as the first U.S. company accepted into the recently announced fuel line pilot
program, announced in July 2025. The initiative, issued in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactors for
National Security helps to eliminate America’s reliance on foreign sources of enriched uranium and critical materials while opening the door for private sector investment in America’s nuclear renaissance. Read the full story Reps. Levin, Lawler Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Require On-Site Inspectors at Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants Washington, D.C.—Today, Reps. Mike Levin (D-CA-49) and Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) reintroduced the bipartisan Increasing Nuclear Safety Protocols for Extended Canister Transfers (INSPECT) Act, ahead of the seventh anniversary of the August 3, 2018 near-canister drop at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). The bill would increase safety and oversight at decommissioning nuclear power plants by requiring the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to keep a resident inspector at decommissioning plants until all spent fuel is transferred from its spent fuel pools to canisters. The INSPECT
Act builds on the recommendations made by the SONGS Task Force Rep. Levin convened in January 2019. Read the full story
Gone Fission Podcast - Charles Oppenheimer August 4, 2025 | S5
E4 Charles Oppenheimer, the grandson of atomic pioneer Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, is Michael Butler’s guest on this week’s episode of the Gone Fission podcast. Ironically, this episode drops two days before August 6 which will be the 80th anniversary of America's use of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima, a pivotal event that launched the end of World War II--and one in which Charles
Oppenheimer's grandfather, Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, played a major role. Charles and Michael sat down at the recent Nuclear Opportunities Workshop in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a wide-ranging discussion that covered everything from nuclear plant financing to what it’s like to be an Oppenheimer in today’s world. Was he surprised that “Oppenheimer” was such a blockbuster hit at the box office? Find out in this week’s episode. https://gonefissionpodcast.com/ NucleCast - Legacy of Hiroshima: A Conversation with Brig. Gen. (Ret) Paul Tibbets IV August 5, 2025 | S03 E230 In this Legacy Series episode of NucleCast, Adam speaks with General Paul Tibbets IV, the grandson of the
pilot who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. They discuss the historical significance of the event, the life and legacy of General Tibbets, the preparation and execution of the mission, and the impact of nuclear weapons on warfare. The conversation also touches on the importance of educating future generations about World War II and the necessity of a strong nuclear deterrent. https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/
Investing in innovation - Financing Advanced Nuclear Projects Webinar | September 10 Register Here National Cleanup Workshop 2025 Arlington, VA | September 23 - 25 Learn More Here
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