ECA Update 11/5; ECA WEBINAR TODAY, DOE-EM ISSUED RFO FOR PADUCAH, and more

Published: Wed, 11/05/25

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS & WHAT TO KNOW THIS WEEK

Congress remains at an impasse over passage of a continuing resolution (CR).
Register now for today's ECA webinar to learn about emergency response planning for nuclear projects - register here!
DOE-EM issued a Request for Offer (RFO) seeking proposals from companies to build and power AI data centers on DOE’s Paducah site - read more below.
New York Power Authority (NYPA) issued its first solicitations as part of a new initiative to develop 1 gigawatt (GW) of advanced nuclear energy - read more below.
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 the Winter Webinar Series with our first webinar happening today at 3:30pm EST 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

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

DOE SEEKS PROPOSALS FOR AI DATA CENTERS, ENERGY PROJECTS AT PADUCAH SITE

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) yesterday issued a Request for Offer (RFO) seeking proposals from companies to build and power AI data centers on DOE’s Paducah site.

This is a solicitation released under the Administration’s effort to promote American leadership in AI and is aligned with executive orders issued earlier this year which leverage federal land assets to quickly deploy data centers and energy generation projects.

The Paducah site is one of four sites identified by the Department for AI infrastructure and generation projects on federal land. EM is now seeking proposals from U.S. companies to potentially enter into one or more long-term leasing agreements at the site that would be solely funded by the applicants.

“Paducah has the resources and vision to support the next generation of AI infrastructure, creating new opportunities for prosperity while advancing national security for future generations" said DOE Assistant Secretary for the Office of Environmental Management Tim Walsh.

NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY ISSUES FIRST SOLICITATIONS FOR ADVANCED NUCLEAR PROJECT

On October 30, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) issued its first solicitations as part of a new initiative to develop 1 gigawatt (GW) of advanced nuclear energy. The two solicitations include a Request for Information (RFI) for Upstate New York communities interested in hosting an advanced nuclear project developed by the Power Authority, and an RFI seeking information from potential development partners with experience developing, constructing, operating or servicing nuclear power projects. The Power Authority will hold an informational webinar on November 6 at 10:00 am EST for communities interested in responding to the RFI. Registration for the webinar can be found here.

The Power Authority’s initiative was spurred by Governor Kathy Hochul who in June called on the Power Authority to develop at least 1 GW of advanced nuclear capacity in Upstate New York to address growing reliability, affordability and clean energy capacity concerns. NYPA immediately commenced pre-feasibility efforts and began discussions with a range of stakeholders, including labor organizations on workforce development needs for the initiative. The Power Authority’s nuclear initiative is intended to deliver firm, zero-emission power that complements renewable generation, strengthens grid reliability, prioritizes affordability and advances an energy policy of abundance that prioritizes energy independence and supply chain security.

DAY 36 OF THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

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

NEW NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHT: MICHIGAN

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 Michigan in the excerpt below:

Palisades Restart - Holtec aims to restart the Palisades nuclear power plant by October 2025, after it was shuddered in May 2022. Holtec wants to pursue a two-step licensing process. After restarting the plant, they intend to pursue construction permit applications for two 300-MW SMRs by 2026, with deployment by 2030. Most recently, DOE issued a $46.7 million loan disbursement to support the project, which is expected to create 600 jobs and generate up to 800 mwe.

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:

Blue Energy and Crusoe plan Texas nuclear-powered data centre

Under the agreement Blue Energy has secured a site for an up to 1.5 GW nuclear plant in the Port of Victoria, Texas, to power Crusoe AI factories on a nearby site. Blue Energy says its gas-to-nuclear conversion will see it power the proposed 1,600 acre Crusoe AI factory campus from 2028, with a transition to nuclear generation by 2031.

Read the full report

Duane Arnold restart underpins NextEra Energy and Google collaboration

The restart of Iowa's only nuclear power plant is the cornerstone of two agreements between NextEra Energy and Google, including a 25-year agreement to purchase power from the plant which could be back online in 2029.

Read the full story