TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS & WHAT TO KNOW THIS WEEK
- Congressional Update
- Continuing Resolution Ends January 30 – currently we do not expect a minibus with Energy and Water or a long term CR to pass prior to the end of the calendar year. When Congress returns from the Holidays we expect that the Senate and House will not a
repeat of the long-term CR. We expect either a full year CR (not what Congress wants) or a bill to pass the remaining appropriation bills prior to January 30 deadline (and always at or near the deadline to make it exciting).
- National Defense Authorization Bill expected to move after Thanksgiving, new bill text expected early December.
- Elections November 3, 2026.
- Join ECA to learn more about Advancing New Nuclear with Datacenter Development on
December 4 - click here to register!
- Ho Nieh confirmed by the Senate to serve as a commissioner of the NRC - read more below.
- Demolition begins on X-333 Process Building at the Portsmouth Site - 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.
HIGHLIGHTING OUR MEMBERS ON WORLD NUCLEAR ENERGY DAY
December 2 marks World Nuclear Energy Day! ECA recognizes World Nuclear Energy Day, and the energy communities who have a long history contributing to the history of nuclear energy. Marking this day, here are some fun facts about the day: - The first official World Nuclear Energy Day happened in 2020.
- This date was chosen to acknowledge both the first date for a
self-sustaining chain reaction and also the date of the start-up of the first commercial-scale electric power reactor.
- Fermi’s first nuclear reactor named the Chicago Pile-1 became the first to create a self-sustaining chain reaction on December 2, 1942. In tribute to Fermi, the first commercial-sized power reactor in Shippingport, Pennsylvania went critical on December 2nd, in 1957; exactly 15 years later on the same day.
JOIN ECA FOR OUR NEXT WEBINAR "ADVANCING NEW NUCLEAR WITH DATACENTER DEVELOPMENT"
The next installment of ECA's Winter Webinar Series continues with "Advancing New Nuclear with Datacenter Development" on December 4 at 2:00pm ET. As artificial intelligence and cloud computing drive exponential growth in electricity demand, data center
developers are turning to nuclear energy for reliable, carbon-free power needed to operate continuously. This session explores the concerns local officials must address when co-locating data centers with existing or new nuclear generation. Speakers will discuss regulatory considerations, what makes an “ideal” site, community engagement, and partnership models that align digital infrastructure expansion with public safety and sustainability goals. Moderator: AJ Ridge - Director of Programs, ECA Iain Macdonald - Principal and Future Energy Systems Development Lead, HKS Ilissa Miller - Editor-in-Chief, DataCenter Post Aditi Verma - Assistant Professor, University of Michigan
NIEH CONFIRMED FOR THE NRCThe U.S. Senate officially confirmed Ho Nieh in a 66–32 vote to serve as a commissioner on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission through the remainder of a term that will expire June 30, 2029. Nieh has been the vice president of regulatory
affairs at Southern Nuclear since 2021, though at the time of his confirmation he had been working as a loaned executive at the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations for more than a year. Nieh started his career at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, where he worked primarily as a nuclear plant engineer and contributed as a civilian instructor in the U.S. Navy’s Nuclear Power Program. He joined the NRC in 1997 as a project engineer. In more than 19 years at the organization, he served in a variety of key leadership roles, including division director of Reactor Projects, division director of Inspection and Regional Support, and director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. Read the full story here.
DEMOLITION BEGINS ON PORTSMOUTH'S LARGEST PROCESSING BUILDINGWorkers have begun demolishing the X-333 Process Building at the Portsmouth Site in Ohio, the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management announced. The largest of three former uranium enrichment process buildings at Portsmouth, the X-333 building is the second of the three buildings to be demolished at the site and is a priority for DOE-EM. “The start of X-333 Process Building demolition marks the next
significant step in the final cleanup of the Portsmouth Site,” said Portsmouth Site Lead Jeremy Davis. “When this building is down, we will further position the site to support the community’s future economic development vision for the site.” The teardown of X-333 is expected to take about five years to complete, although there are opportunities to finish the job earlier, according to DOE-EM. Read the full story here.
THREE NEBRASKA UTILITY COMPANIES LAUNCH JOINT EFFORT TO EXPLORE ADVANCED NUCLEAR ENERGYIn a collaborative effort between Nebraska and Oklahoma, four utility companies have launched a joint effort to explore advanced nuclear energy. Lincoln Electric System, Nebraska Public Power District, Omaha Public Power District and Grand River Dam Authority have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form the Great Plains New Nuclear Consortium. The consortium will explore the feasibility and development of deploying between 1,000 and 2,000 megawatts of new nuclear technology, including Small Modular Reactors, within Nebraska to serve the needs of the four utilities in the Southwest Power Pool market footprint. The consortium will focus on feasibility studies, site evaluations and technology assessments. No construction or
investment decisions have been made at this time. NPPD is currently finalizing a nuclear feasibility siting study funded through the Nebraska Legislature and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. Read the full story here.
NEW NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHT: VIRGINIA
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 Virginia in the excerpt below: Fusion Power Plant in Virginia - Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) intends to independently finance, build, own, and operate the world’s first grid-scale commercial fusion
power plant, known as ARC, at the James River Industrial Park in Chesterfield County, Virginia. As part of this effort, CFS reached an agreement with Dominion Energy Virginia to provide non-financial collaboration, including development and technical expertise as well as leasing rights for the proposed site. Dominion Energy Virginia currently owns the proposed site. The project is expected to generate billions of dollars in economic development in the region and create hundreds of jobs during
the construction and long-term operation of the power plant. ARC will generate about 400 megawatts of electricity — enough energy to power large industrial sites or about 150,000 homes. Learn more about the project here. To learn more about New Nuclear projects in Virginia and across the country, as well as how energy communities will be instrumental to their success, click here to read From the Atomic Age to New Nuclear.
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.
Advancing New Nuclear with Datacenter Development - ECA Winter Webinar Series Virtual | December 4, 2025 Learn More Here Co-location Options with Nuclear Storage - ECA Winter Webinar Series Virtual | January 8,
2026 Learn More Here Siting Options for High Level Waste and Used Nuclear Fuel
- ECA Winter Webinar Series Virtual | February 12, 2026 Learn More Here Spent Fuel Storage and Advanced Fuel Cycle Facilities: Co-location for Safety and Sustainability - ECA Winter Webinar Series Virtual | March 5, 2026 Learn More Here ECA New Nuclear Forum 2026 Augusta, GA | April 21 - 23 Learn More Here National Cleanup Workshop 2026 Arlington, VA | September 14-16 Learn More Here
Marketplace October 27, 2025 The nuclear technology company Kairos is using molten salt cooling, a technique originally developed in the mid-20th century, to advance the safety and reliability of small, modular nuclear reactors, according to journalist Mark Harris. Some AI companies are turning to nuclear power to meet demand for electricity. But traditional nuclear plants can take decades to bring online. Now some tech companies are partnering with startups trying to build small, modular nuclear reactors, designed with speed in mind. One such company, Kairos, has a deal with Google to build a fleet of modular reactors. To do so, it’s
relying on a technique first developed in the mid-20th century: molten-salt cooling. Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with journalist Mark Harris, who wrote about Kairos for MIT Technology Review, to learn more. Listen Here Gone Fission Podcast October 27, 2025 While many companies--foreign and domestic--are engaged in advancing the nuclear renaissance, one company stands out for its reputation and deep involvement in the evolution of commercial nuclear power over a period of decades. In this week’s episode, host Michael Butler takes a look at what Bechtel is doing today to further advanced nuclear technology in the U.S. and abroad. Our guest is Ahmet Tokpinar, Principal Vice President and General Manager of Bechtel’s nuclear power
business iine. We’ll also have more from Mike Deane, the “Nuclear Average Joe”, who’s burning up the internet with his easy-to-digest layman’s take on the benefits of nuclear power. Listen Here
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