ECA Update 10/31; REGISTER TODAY FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE WEBINAR, and more

Published: Fri, 10/31/25

Updated: Fri, 10/31/25

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS & WHAT TO KNOW THIS WEEK

Congress remains at an impasse over passage of a continuing resolution (CR).
Register now for upcoming ECA webinar to learn about emergency response planning for nuclear projects - register here!
NGA sends letter to House and Senate committees on energy permitting priorities - read more here.
ECA New Nuclear Forum to be hosted in Augusta, GA from April 21-23, 2026.
ECA's latest report "From the Atomic Age to New Nuclear" highlights new nuclear projects across the country - see more below.
Visit ECA on LinkedIn for regular updates.

REGISTER NOW – JOIN ECA TO LEARN ABOUT EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANNING FOR NUCLEAR PROJECTS

ECA kicks off a forthcoming Winter Webinar Series with our first webinar titled "Creating Emergency Response Planning for Nuclear Storage Projects"

Advanced nuclear projects are moving toward construction, and local governments play a frontline role in ensuring that emergency preparedness and management systems keep pace with development. City and county officials oversee first responders, coordinate public safety communications, and maintain the trust of residents who live and work near project sites.

This webinar will highlight how mayors, emergency managers, and developers collaborate to build readiness from day one—through joint planning, drills, and transparent communication. Participants will gain insight into best practices for integrating project-specific safety requirements into local emergency operations and for sustaining preparedness over the full lifecycle of a nuclear facility.

Speakers will include:

Moderator: Laura Hermann - Deputy Executive Director, Energy Communities Alliance

Dr. Erica Bickford - Director for the Office of Storage & Transportation, DOE-NE (Invited)

Chief Mike Cochran - Police Chief, City of Craig, Colorado

Lea Perlas - Fusion Program Director, Virginia Department of Health

Randall Ryti - Councilor, Los Alamos County, New Mexico

Brian Scroggins - Administrator of the Division of Planning, Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects

NGA SENDS LETTER TO HOUSE AND SENATE COMMITTEES ON ENERGY PERMITTING PRIORITIES

Earlier this week, the National Governors Association (NGA) sent letters to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources regarding federal efforts to improve federal permitting and regulatory processes.

NGA writes, "as a group we believe it is critical that federal permitting be administered in a technology-neutral and apolitical manner that allows energy projects of all types to move forward. Given the current demands on the grid, ensuring reliability and keeping costs low for consumers requires that a diverse mix of energy types be permitted and brought online to help meet our resource needs."

Read the full letter here.

DAY 31 OF THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

This week, the federal government enters its fourth week of shutdown, with the Senate still unable to reach the 60-vote threshold to pass a CR.

NEW NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHT: IOWA

In ECA’s latest paper, “From the Atomic Age to New Nuclear,” ECA captures a snapshot of the nuclear projects underway in the United States by state including both federal and private sites, and lays out the attributes that make energy communities optimal for this new era of American nuclear leadership. Keep reading what new nuclear projects are already underway in the great state of Iowa in the excerpt below:

Duane Arnold Nuclear Plant Restart - NextEra Energy’s Duane Arnold Nuclear Plant, located in Palo Iowa, shuttered in 2020 when it became unprofitable to operate. However, NextEra filed a notice with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to request a licensing change. This could be the first step to restoring the facility's operating license and restarting plant operations as early as late 2028.

ECA NEW NUCLEAR FORUM TO BE HOSTED IN AUGUSTA, GA FROM APRIL 21-23, 2026

Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) is pleased to host the fifth annual ECA Forum in Augusta, GA from April 21 - April 23, 2026. The meeting is part of ECA’s ongoing New Nuclear Initiative to define the role of local governments in supporting the development of the new nuclear technologies.

April 21 | Registration Opens & Nuclear 101

April 22 | Full Day General Session

April 23 | Half-Day General Session

The ECA Forum is the only meeting designed to bring together DOE, federal, state, local and tribal governments and policymakers with developers, utilities, regulators, industry, and academia to identify opportunities, challenges and to build the partnerships necessary to support nuclear development. Stay tuned for further details on registration, agenda, and more!

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
The ECA Forum is open to communities, State, Tribal and local policymakers, industry, utilities, developers, experts, financiers, state legislators, community groups, and economic development organizations working to build capacity and support for new nuclear development in the U.S.

AGENDA:
Agenda coming soon!

ECA is working with private and community partners to develop an agenda that continues to look holistically at the what a nuclear project entails: from the front-end of the fuel-cycle to the back-end of the fuel cycle, from building local support, to state support and enabling legislation, from identifying the right public-private partnerships, to understanding regulatory oversight.

WHAT YOU'VE MISSED:

Fermi America announces a new partnership with the City of Amarillo and Carson County

Fermi America announced a new era of partnership with the City of Amarillo and Carson County, uniting public and private leadership in a shared vision to drive long-term prosperity, economic diversity and job growth for the region.

Read the full report

NANO progresses North American projects

NANO Nuclear Energy Inc said it plans to submit an application for a site-preparation licence to Canadian regulators for a demonstration micromodular reactor unit following the recent completion of its acquisition of Global First Power Ltd, while a "prospective customer" is planning a feasibility study for the deployment of 15 KRONOS micromodular reactors in Texas.

Read the full story

Nominees for NRC, TVA board members, and nuclear fuel recycling bill head to Senate floor
Ho Nieh, the for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and four new board members of the Tennessee Valley Authority were approved in a vote today by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and head to the Senate floor for a final vote. The committee also voted to advance to the Senate floor the Nuclear REFUEL Act of 2025 (S. 2082), which would smooth the regulatory pathway for recycling used nuclear fuel.

Read the full story