TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS & WHAT TO KNOW THIS WEEK
- Congressional Update
- National Defense Authorization Act text was
released late Sunday evening with $34.2 billion in authorizations for Atomic Energy Defense Activities which include authorizations for National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), EM, and other DOE related defense activities.
- The NDAA was passed in the House on Wednesday and moves to the Senate for a vote.
- DOE announced $11 million to develop HALEU transportation packages - read more below
- DOE-EM announced upcoming Environmental Management
Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site - read more below
- NRC announced multiple opportunities for public comment - read more below
- Join ECA for our next webinar: Co-location Options with Nuclear Storage - ECA Winter Webinar Series on January 8, 2026 - register 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.
HOUSE PASSES NDAAOn Wednesday, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with a 312-112 vote. The NDAA now moves to the
Senate and is expected to be voted on next week, but at this time the vote has not been scheduled. Read more here.
DOE ANNOUNCES $11 MILLION TO DEVELOP HALEU TRANSPORTATION PACKAGESOn Monday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $11 million in awards to five U.S. companies to develop and license new or modified transportation packages for high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU). The announcement was made during U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris
Wright’s visit to Idaho National Laboratory (INL), marking the final stop in his tour of all 17 DOE National Laboratories. The following companies were selected to develop long-term economic solutions for the safe transport of HALEU through two topic areas: Topic Area 1: Develop new package designs that can be licensed by the
NRC - NAC International
- Westinghouse Electric Company
- Container Technologies Industries, LLC
- American Centrifuge Operating
- Paragon D&E
Topic Area 2: Modify existing design packages for NRC certification Projects under Topic Area 1 will have
performance periods of up to three years; the Topic Area 2 project will have a performance period of up to two years. Read the full announcement here.
FEDERAL REGISTER ROUNDUPDOE-EM Announced Meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board The Office of Environmental Management published a meeting notice in the Federal Register announcing a meeting of the Environmental Management
Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm EST. The meeting will be held at the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative at 4345 Trolley Line Road in Aiken, South Carolina 29801, and can be streamed on YouTube (access the livestream here). Read the full meeting announcement here. Nuclear Regulatory Commission The NRC announced three requests for comment pertaining to low-level radioactive waste with comments for all three accepted until February 9, 2026. Read each below and follow the links to learn more or submit a comment. Uniform Low-Level Radioactive Waste Manifest Container and Waste Description and Continuation Page To submit
comments, please follow this link. Uniform Low-Level Radioactive Waste Manifest (Shipping Paper) and Continuation Page To submit comments, please follow this link. Uniform Low-Level Radioactive Waste Manifest Index and Regional Compact Tabulation and Continuation Page To submit comments, please follow this link. NRC Announced Request for Comment for Scheduling Information for the Licensing of Accident Tolerant, Higher Burnup, and Increased Enrichment Fuels The NRC will be accepting comments related to scheduling information for the licensing of accident tolerant, higher burnup, and increased
enrichment fuels until February 9, 2026. To submit comments, please follow this link. Read the full announcement here.
JOIN ECA FOR OUR NEXT WEBINAR "CO-LOCATION OPTIONS WITH NUCLEAR STORAGE"
The next installment of ECA's Winter Webinar Series continues January 8 at 2:00pm ET with "Co-location Options with Nuclear Storage". As data centers and advanced fuel cycle facilities seek reliable, carbon-free power, new opportunities are emerging to co-locate
these energy-intensive operations with nuclear generation and spent fuel storage sites. Such integration could strengthen grid resilience, reduce transmission losses, align high-demand digital infrastructure with established nuclear security and safety protocols and diversify economic opportunities for host communities and regions. Yet it also raises complex questions about regulatory frameworks, community acceptance, and long-term stewardship of nuclear materials. This webinar will bring
together experts from the energy, technology, and policy sectors to explore how thoughtful colocation strategies can balance innovation, safety, and public trust in the next generation of nuclear infrastructure.
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 takes a comprehensive look at what new nuclear projects require - from the front-end to the back-end of the fuel cycle to aligning support at local, state and federal levels. The Forum will explore emerging options for enabling legislation, public-private partnerships and regulatory
oversight.
WHAT YOU'VE MISSED: First fuel produced for molten salt reactor experiment Idaho National
Laboratory has launched full-scale production of enriched fuel salt for the world's first test of a molten chloride salt fast reactor - technology that could be deployed as soon as the 2030s for both terrestrial and maritime applications. Read the full story State bill would give tax credits to new nuclear power plants in Wisconsin A bill in the Wisconsin Legislature aims to incentivize the development of new nuclear power plants through state tax credits and would make
nuclear power a high-priority energy source. Under the bill, new nuclear plants coming online in 2030 or later would be able to qualify for tax credits based on their energy generation. The bill would also create a tax credit for nuclear plants that are relicensed by federal
regulators. Read the full story DOE and Standard Nuclear strike deal to boost reactor fuel The Department of Energy will regulate a nuclear fuel producer in a first-of-a-kind agreement announced Thursday that aims to boost the fuel supply chain but
poses novel legal questions. Under the deal, Standard Nuclear will move operations of its Tennessee and Idaho facilities to DOE oversight. The Oak Ridge, Tennessee-based startup called the agreement a breakthrough for its nuclear fuel business. Read the full story
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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