JOIN ECA MAY 22 FOR A WEBINAR - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: AI INFRASTRUCTURE ON DOE SITES
On April 3, 2025, the Secretary of Energy announced DOE’s Data Center and AI Infrastructure Development initiative where DOE will lease some of its underutilized land for Data Center and AI Infrastructure Development including energy projects. “DOE is considering opportunities to utilize these assets in a manner that enhances the United States’ leading position in AI and benefits
local economies.” For more information, find the request for information (RFI) by clicking here!
HOUSE & SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEES RELEASE BILL APPROPRIATING FUNDING FOR NNSA & SMRS
The House and Senate Armed Services Committees have released their plan for $150 billion in additional defense spending for the FY2025 budget through “reconciliation”, a strategy that will enable Republicans to pass their ambitious budget bills without the threat
of a Senate filibuster. Appropriations in the bill relevant to ECA members include: National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) - $200,000,000 to perform NNSA Phase 1 studies
- $540,000,000 to address deferred maintenance and repair needs of the NNSA
- $1,000,000,000 to accelerate the construction
of NNSA facilities
- $400,000,000 to accelerate the development, procurement, and integration of the warhead for the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile
- $500,000,000 to accelerate primary capability modernization
- $500,000,000 to accelerate secondary capability modernization
- $100,000,000 to accelerate domestic uranium enrichment centrifuge deployment for defense purposes
The
bill also includes a provision to provide the Department of Defense (DOD) with $120,000,000 in funding for the “acceleration of development of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) for military use.” To see the bill and associated press release, click here. The House is expected to vote on the bill today, which you can view by clicking here. If it is passed, it is expected to be rolled into the larger budget reconciliation package. ECA will continue to monitor and looks forward to reporting when budget bills including appropriations for the Department of Energy (DOE) and
Environmental Management (EM) will be unveiled.
DOE AWARDS NEW CONTRACT FOR OAK RIDGE PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES
DOE-EM | April 24, 2025 CINCINNATI — The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM)
announced today it awarded the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) Technical, Management, and Administrative Services contract to Independent Strategic Management Solutions, Inc., a women-owned small business from Richland, Washington. After a robust selection process, DOE determined the ISMSolutions is best suited to manage this contract based on key personnel, organization and staffing approach, past performance, and value to taxpayers. The selected contractor will support EM’s mission by performing the following professional support services for OREM site technical analyses, document preparation and review, assistance in oversight activities, corrective action management, information management, technical editing, training, logistical coordination, performance analyses, records maintenance, and general and cross-cutting support. This is a time-and-materials-type task order issued against the General Services Administration’s Multiple Award Schedule program. The maximum period of performance is five years, consisting of a three-year base period (which will include a one-month transition period) and two one-year option periods and a total contract ceiling value, including options is $74,820,281. This contract will replace the
current Technical, Management, and Administrative Services contract, held by Link Technologies, Inc., which expires on May 31, 2025. For more than 35 years, EM has remained focused on addressing the environmental legacy of nuclear weapons development and nuclear energy research that helped end World War II, win the Cold War, and position the United States as a leader in clean nuclear energy. Collectively, EM delivers
results that protect the environment, support communities, and enable a concerted focus on safely completing the mission sooner and more efficiently. More information about EM can be found here.
ECA would also like to extend a very special thanks to all of our sponsors and supporters for supporting the ECA Forum: New Nuclear Forum and contributing a successful event!
To review the agenda for each day of the Forum, and access panel speaker bios and panel presentations, click here. If you weren’t able to attend the Forum or missed out a
particular session, don’t worry – all sessions have been recorded and will be uploaded to ECA’s website and YouTube channel in the coming weeks.
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: Argonne’s METL gears up to test more sodium fast reactor components Argonne National Laboratory has successfully swapped out an aging cold trap in the sodium
test loop called METL (Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop), the Department of Energy announced April 23. The upgrade is the first of its kind in the United States in more than 30 years, according to the DOE, and will help test components and operations for the sodium-cooled fast reactors being developed
now. Read the full story EnergySolutions to help explore advanced reactor development in Utah Utah-based waste management company EnergySolutions announced that it has signed a memorandum of understating with the Intermountain Power Agency and the state of Utah to explore the development of advanced nuclear power
generation at the Intermountain Power Project (IPP) site near Delta, Utah. According to the Utah Office of Energy Development, the project aligns with the state’s goals of doubling its power production over the next 10 years under Gov. Spencer Cox’s Operation Gigawatt initiative Read the full story The Nuclear Company opens base in South Carolina The company which is aiming to modernise US nuclear construction has completed its Series A funding round as well as announcing the opening of its primary
engineering and construction office in Columbia, South Carolina. Read the full story
GoneFission Nuclear Report - Centrus: American-Made Uranium Enrichment Apr. 21, 2025 | S5 E1 The Gone Fission Nuclear Report launches Season 5 with a new episode featuring a discussion with Amir Vexler, President and CEO of Centrus Energy Group. Centrus is playing a vital role in the nuclear renaissance with its manufacturing of uranium enrichment centrifuges in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and operation of the American Centrifuge
Plant in Piketon, Ohio. The size of the Pentagon, the plant is pioneering the development of High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU), expected to be a crucial fuel fuel component for both existing reactors and a new generation of advanced reactors. Welcome to Season 5. https://gonefissionpodcast.com/ NucleCast - James Petrosky, Ph.D.: Nuclear Power, The Future of Energy Security Apr. 22, 2025 | S02 E215 Jim Petrosky discusses the critical need for resilient energy infrastructure in the face of potential threats like EMP attacks in this episode. He explores the lessons learned from Europe's energy grid modernization, the future of nuclear power, and the challenges of public perception and
political will surrounding nuclear energy. The conversation emphasizes the importance of small modular reactors and the need for a dynamic energy grid that can adapt to changing demands and threats. https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/
Spring into Strategy: Radiation Messaging and Outreach Virtual | Multiple Dates Register Here National Cleanup Workshop 2025 Arlington, VA | September 23 - 25 Learn More Here
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