TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS & WHAT TO KNOW THIS WEEK
- Congress remains at an impasse over passage of a continuing resolution (CR).
- Senate passes National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), reconciliation between House and Senate versions up next.
- Nuclear industry entrepreneurs
in Texas say an AI-fueled boom in energy demand will make small nuclear reactors a necessity in the near future - read more below.
- 2026 Roy G. Post Scholarship Application still open - applications due November 1, 2025.
- Duke Energy is evaluating adding large light water reactors and small modular
reactors to its fleet in the coming years to meet increased energy demands expected in its southeast region.
- 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.
SENATE PASSES NDAA, RECONCILIATION TO BEGINLate on Thursday, October 9, the Senate approved the National Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA) in a 70-20 vote aiming to fund the U.S. military and other activities at $924.7 billion for fiscal year 2026. Contained in this bill are multiple provisions pertaining to the DOE Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Over 880 amendmendments were submitted to this bill with about 65 making it into the final draft - including one by Senator Gallego of
Arizona requiring the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program for deploying microreactors. ECA will provide a full summary of the Bill once the final Senate text is made available, and as it enters the reconciliation process between the House and Senate. If you are interested in learning more about the Appropriations and Authorization website, visit our website.
DAY 13 OF THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNOn Thursday, the Senate voted for the 7th time, again failing to end the government shutdown. Democrats and Republicans fielded separate stop-gap measures while the House-passed measure to fund the government fell short in the Senate in a 54 to 45 vote. The Senate is expected to vote again when it returns on Tuesday, although it is not expected to reach the necessary 60-vote threshold to pass the budget.
ENTREPRENEURS IN TEXAS BETTING ON NUCLEAR POWER TO FUEL AI ENERGY DEMANDS
Nuclear industry entrepreneurs in Texas say an artificial intelligence-fueled boom in energy demand will make small nuclear reactors a necessity in the near future. In a recent interview on NPR, Mose Buchele interviews Matt Loszak, CEO of Aalo Atomics who are in the testing phase of micro nuclear reactors that he hopes will power future AI data centers. Loszak plans to start building a working test reactor in the next 12 months citing the passage of the Texas Nuclear Deployment Act (HB14) for helping encourage the industry to develop new nuclear projects. This Act establishes The Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office which stands to provide leadership for advanced nuclear reactor systems in the state, promote the development of advanced nuclear reactors, establishes an advanced
nuclear development grant fund, and work with stakeholders and state and local leaders for purposes of public outreach. Read more about the Texas Nuclear Deployment
Act here. The passage of the act is partially in response to estimates from grid operators that project that energy demand in Texas could double by 2030, largely because of the new data centers. Analysts have subsequently warned that if these forecasts are remotely accurate, the current Texas energy grid's reliability is threatened. Read the full story from NPR here.
2026 ROY G. POST FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION OPEN
Students in at least their third year of studies pursuing programs to the nuclear or radwaste industries (nuclear engineering, radiation protection, environmental science or engineering, or related fields, as well as business-related fields) are eligible to apply for the 2026 Roy G. Post Foundation Scholarship to attend the upcoming Waste Management Symposia hosted from March
8-12, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. Click here to register for the upcoming Waste Management Symposia. To apply for the scholarship, be sure to complete all forms and
supporting documentation, including two (2) letters of reference, and an abstract for the Student Poster Competition must be submitted by the deadline, November 1, 2025. Awards for undergraduate students are up to $5,000 and awards for graduate students are up to $7,500 with notification of awards coming one month after the application. Click here to apply for the Roy G. Post Foundation Scholarship.
DUKE ENERGY EVALUATING NEW NUCLEAR BUILDOUT IN 2025 STRATEGIC PLAN
Duke Energy is evaluating adding large light water reactors (LMR) and small modular reactors
(SMR) to its fleet in the coming years to meet increased energy demands expected in its southeast region, Nuclear Newswire reports. In a recent announcement, the company said it plans to add more nuclear to its generation mix—as well as build new natural gas plants and extend the lives of some of its coal plants—over the next 15 years, according to its 2025 Carolinas Resource Plan. The plan says that in the next decade and a half, energy
needs are expected be eight times more than that of the previous 15 years. Duke Energy is evaluating adding large LWRs as well as SMRs. It is specifically eyeing an SMR at either its Belews Creek, N.C., plant or a large LWR at its W. S. Lee site in Cherokee County, S.C., with projected in-service dates by 2037. The company said it will also expand licensing activities to include both LWR and SMR sites to preserve
optionality. Read the full story on Nuclear Newswire here.
NANO NUCLEAR ENERGY TO ESTABLISH OPERATIONS IN ILLINOIS
NANO Nuclear Energy Inc., a leading advanced nuclear energy and technology
company focused on developing clean energy solutions, announced on October 7 that they, alongside Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), will establish a manufacturing and research & development facility in Illinois. NANO Nuclear plans to make an investment of more than $12 million with the support from the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois (REV Illinois)
program, which will enable the company to establish its operations and create 50 new full-time jobs. NANO Nuclear will receive $6.8 million in incentive awards from the REV Illinois program. "I'm proud to welcome NANO Nuclear to Illinois' growing clean energy economy," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Our qualified workforce, unmatched infrastructure, and competitive incentives all make Illinois the best state for companies
investing in clean energy production. With support from REV Illinois, this critical investment from NANO Nuclear will create new jobs for hardworking Illinoisans and promote innovative strides in clean energy solutions." Additionally, NANO Nuclear is expected to close on $400 million investment this week. Closing is anticipated on or around October 10, 2025. While traded on the NASDAQ, this investment represents a private
placement with securities purchase agreements with institutional investors for 8.49M shares. Proceeds will fund development and licensing of the KRONOS MMR microreactor, other nuclear projects, strategic acquisitions, and general corporate use. Read the full story from NANO Nuclear Energy here.
NEW NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHT: KENTUCKY
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 Kentucky in the excerpt below: Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility - Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) has a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy to process uranium stored from past activities at the former
DOE Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. GLE acquired a 665-acre site adjacent to the former DOE plant for the new facility and the company plans to submit their license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in mid-2025. If constructed, the facility will produce approximately 5 million pounds of uranium annually, accounting for about 10% of the country’s uranium demand. The first-of-a-kind project would construct the first laser enrichment facility in the world. Read more about the project here. General Matter Uranium Enrichment Facility - US uranium enrichment startup General
Matter has signed a lease with the U.S. Department of Energy for the reuse of federal land at the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky for a new commercial uranium enrichment facility. General Matter acquired 100-acres of land at the site and provides the company with a minimum of 7,600 cylinders of existing uranium hexafluoride to supply fuel for the future re-enrichment operations. Construction of the new plant is expected to begin in 2026 with operations planned for
2034. Read more about the project here. To learn more about New
Nuclear projects in Kentucky 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! Click here to learn more about the upcoming ECA New Nuclear Forum!
Gone Fission Podcast - TVA SMR at Clinch River September 22,
2025 | S5 E5 The 2025 Nuclear Opportunities Workshop sponsored by the East Tennessee Economic Council in Knoxville continues to yield newsworthy stories for the Gone Fission podcast. This week, host Michael Butler talks with Tennessee Valley Authority Vice President Greg Borschieg about TVA's plans to build a small modular reactor on the Clinch River site in Oak Ridge. In
May, TVA became the first American utility to apply for a construction permit to build an SMR. Learn more about this groundbreaking project in this week's episode of the Gone Fission podcast. https://gonefissionpodcast.com/ EFCOG Exchange Podcast September 17, 2025 | S1 E1 In this debut episode, EFCOG Chair and Honeywell Federal Solutions VP/GM David “DJ” Johnson sits down with Mike Nartker, VP of Communications at Longenecker & Associates, to explore EFCOG’s history, mission, and the impactful work happening across the DOE complex. New to EFCOG? This episode offers an engaging introduction to the
organization and its current priorities. Already familiar? You’ll hear fresh insights from DJ and Mike on opportunities to strengthen collaboration with DOE—highlighting how digital tools and AI can help advance the Department’s evolving mission. Stay tuned for future episodes of the EFCOG Exchange Podcast, where we’ll continue spotlighting innovation, collaboration, and success across the DOE enterprise. https://efcog.buzzsprout.com/2531686
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