TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS & WHAT TO KNOW THIS WEEK
- Today (September 19) the House and Senate are poised to vote on a continuing resolution (CR) proposed by the House to extend government funding until November 21, the Friday before Thanksgiving
- Theodore "Ted" Garrish was approved by the Senate to be the Department of Energy
Office of Nuclear Energy's Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Energy.
- ECA's latest report "From the Atomic Age to New Nuclear" highlights new nuclear projects across the country - see more below!
- The National Cleanup Workshop is less than a week away! Don't Miss out - register
now!
- Visit ECA on LinkedIn for regular updates
CONGRESS LOOKING TO PASS A NOVEMBER 21 STOPGAP; SENATE CONFIRMS DOE LEADERSHIP
Today (September 19) the House passed continuing resolution (CR) in a 217-212 vote to extend government funding until November 21, the Friday before Thanksgiving. Extending the current resolution beyond its September 30 deadline is crucial to averting a government shutdown on October 1, the beginning of fiscal year 2026. The CR now goes to the Senate, where it is expected to fail today. The Senate will be in a weeklong recess next week, giving them little time on September 29 to pass the measure. Also on Capitol Hill,, the Senate confirmed a package of 48 nominations, ushering new leadership into a variety of agencies, including the Department of Energy. Confirmations relevant to ECA members include: - Theodore J. Garrish, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (DOE Office of Nuclear Energy)
- Scott Pappano, to be Principal Deputy Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration
ECA looks forward to discussing the impacts CR extension will have as well as how new leadership will direct the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management and Office of Nuclear Energy at this year's National Cleanup Workshop. To learn more about the Workshop, keep reading below!
COMMUNITIES ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS IN AN UPDATED ECA REPORT: FROM THE ATOMIC AGE TO NEW NUCLEAR
Communities across the country that were once home to government nuclear sites and/or former commercial energy plants are ready to help the United States today unleash the next wave of nuclear technologies, according to a report from the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA). In its paper, “From the Atomic Age to New Nuclear,” ECA captures a snapshot of the nuclear
projects underway in the United States and lays out the attributes that make energy communities optimal for this new era of American nuclear leadership. Read the paper here.
THE NATIONAL CLEANUP WORKSHOP IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER - REGISTER BEFORE YOU MISS OUT!
September 24 - 25, 2025 | Crystal Gateway Marriott | Arlington, VA We are less than one week away from the National Cleanup Workshop to be held September 24-25 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott
- Arlington, VA! Join us to hear from our Keynote speaker Joel Bradburne, Acting Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM), and a wide array of federal representatives, industry officials and state and local leaders. We will explore how the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management is working to drive down risks while also building up new opportunities
for communities and the nation.
WHO'S SPEAKING?
Joel Bradburne | Acting Assistant Secretary DOE-EM, Portsmouth Paducah Project Office Manager James McConnell | Acting Principal Deputy Administrator, NNSA
Greg
Sosson | Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Field Operations, DOE-EM
Kristen Ellis | Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regulatory and Policy Affairs, DOE-EM
Brent Gerry | Mayor, City of West Richland, WA; Chair, ECA
Rebecca Casper | Mayor, City of Idaho Falls, ID; Vice-Chair, ECA
Jonathan “JD” Dowell | Senior Vice President,
Fluor
Heatherly Dukes | President, BWXT Technical Services Group
DJ Johnson | Vice President, Federal Solutions Business Enterprise, Honeywell Federal Solutions; Chair, EFCOG
Mark Johnson | Principal Vice President, High Level Waste Facility, Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP), Bechtel
Jeff Kendall | President, AtkinsRéalis U.S. Nuclear
Michael
Lempke | President, Nuclear and Environmental Services, HII
Mark Whitney | President, Amentum
...and more!
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Wednesday, September 24 8:00am National Cleanup
Workshop 5:30pm Evening Reception for all NCW Attendees Thursday, September 25
8:00am National Cleanup Workshop EXHIBITS & SPONSORSHIPS
NCW sponsorships offer an excellent opportunity to
showcase your company, maximize networking opportunities with attendees, and host an exhibit booth during the forum. Click here to learn more! STAY CONNECTED
ECA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-communities-alliance
EFCOG Twitter: @EFCOG_now
DOE EM Twitter: @EMcleanup
#NationalCleanupWorkshop SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS 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: As Wyoming Struggles With Nuclear Waste, Canada Shares Its Success Story As communities in
Wyoming debate whether to allow spent fuel storage as the state's nuclear industry is growing, state legislators heard about how Canada has handled its dilemma of where to put its nuclear waste. At a Council of State Governments West (CSG) conference hosted at Snow King Resort in Jackson on Wednesday, Wyoming legislators were learning about how Canada was able to identify a nuclear waste site in stark contrast to the United States, which has never
successfully identified a location for permanent storage. Read the full story ‘My father actually built that thing’: Hartsville’s nuclear cooling tower demolished as TVA looks to future of nuclear energy production HARTSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — It was a momentous day in Hartsville history as the nuclear cooling tower, which stood 540 feet tall for nearly five decades, was demolished on Thursday morning. Now, the Tennessee Valley Authority is charting a new course for the region’s future energy needs. “I think TVA has realized over the years that that cooling tower was not
going to really serve any useful purpose,” Scott Brooks with TVA told News 2. “We were not going to complete any of those four reactors that were early under construction. That site is used for a number of other things, and it was really just in the way and so now removing that cooling tower makes way for the future and other possibilities at that
site.” Read the full story House lawmakers move to give nuclear fusion industry manufacturing subsidies House lawmakers introduced a bill to expand the advanced
manufacturing production tax credit for companies that produce components for nuclear fusion energy, even as Republicans have scaled back the credits for renewable energy sources such as solar and
wind. Read the full
story
Gone Fission Podcast - Charles Oppenheimer August 4, 2025 | S5
E4 Charles Oppenheimer, the grandson of atomic pioneer Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, is Michael Butler’s guest on this week’s episode of the Gone Fission podcast. Ironically, this episode drops two days before August 6 which will be the 80th anniversary of America's use of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima, a pivotal event that launched the end of World War II--and one in which Charles
Oppenheimer's grandfather, Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, played a major role. Charles and Michael sat down at the recent Nuclear Opportunities Workshop in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a wide-ranging discussion that covered everything from nuclear plant financing to what it’s like to be an Oppenheimer in today’s world. Was he surprised that “Oppenheimer” was such a blockbuster hit at the box office? Find out in this week’s episode. https://gonefissionpodcast.com/ NucleCast - Dr. Rich Tighe, Exploring Y-12: The Heart of Nuclear Security September 16, 2025 | S03 E236 In this episode of NucleCast, Adam interviews Dr. Rich Tighe, the president and CEO of Consolidated Nuclear Security,
discussing the current operations and future outlook of the Y-12 National Security Complex. Rich explains the complex's historical significance, its current missions, and the challenges it faces in workforce recruitment and safety. The conversation also touches on modernization efforts, collaboration with design agencies, and the importance of community support. Rich shares his aspirations for the future, including the need for continued growth and innovation in nuclear security. https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/
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