TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS & WHAT TO KNOW THIS WEEK

DON'T MISS OUT! NEW SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED FOR NEW NUCLEAR FORUM 

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.

We are thrilled to announce a growing list of speakers who are joining us at the ECA Forum: 

Tim Walsh – Assistant Secretary, DOE-EM

James McConnell – Associate Principal Deputy Administrator, NNSA

Jack Craig - Senior Vice President, Atkins Realis

Cristina Paredes – Executive Director, SC Nexus

Rod Baltzer – CEO, Deep Isolation

Chuck Hope – Councilmember, City of Oak Ridge and ECA Chair

Robbie Bennett – President & CEO, SRSCRO

Jennifer Chandler – Council Member, Village of Piketon 

Doreen Harris - CEO, NYSERDA

Suzanne Jaworowski - Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources, State of Indiana 

Mckinsey Lyon – VP of External Affairs, Perpetua Resources

Shay Lundvall – Mayor, City of Gillette, WY

Kirt Marlow - President, Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium 

Chris Stearns – Representative (District 47-Position 2), Washington State Legislature

April Wade – Executive Director, Virginia Nuclear Energy Consortium

Sandra Wilson – Mayor Pro Tem, City of Paducah

Additional speakers can be found on the agenda!

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.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

We would like to give a big thanks to Gold Sponsor Atkins Realis for their support of energy communities and making this must-attend event a reality.

Atkins Realis are stewards of CANDU® technology, a Canadian pressurized heavy-water reactor design, which has been used to generate electric power for more than 60 years. For almost 30 years, Atkins has successfully addressed some of the industry’s most challenging cleanup and decommissioning tasks across various facilities. They offer an array of specialized nuclear safety, quality assurance, oversight and assessment services, supported by a team of experienced personnel dedicated to serving our customers.

Meet Atkins Realis and a whole host of other nuclear leaders, developers, and innovators at the ECA Forum!

REGISTRATION RATES
General Attendees -  $950.00.
Non-Profit & Government attendees - $795.00.

SCHEDULE:

April 21 | Registration Opens & Nuclear 101
April 22 | Full-Day General Session
April 23 | Half-Day General Session
April 24 | All-Day Tour

AGENDA:
To see the full Agenda, Click here!
Additional speakers to be announced soon!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

GAO PUBLISHES REPORT ON NUCLEAR WASTE CLEANUP

Yesterday, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report titled "Nuclear Waste Cleanup: DOE Needs to Improve the Accuracy of Cost and Schedule Information for Major Projects and Activities". The report outlines how the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) estimated costs for capital asset projects  and operations activities. EM’s data indicated that combined costs for capital asset projects increased by more than $2 billion, and combined costs for operations activities increased by about $75 billion since GAO last reported in 2022. EM officials said that these cost increases were already known to the agency and accounted for in previous life-cycle cost estimates that were communicated to Congress.

Multiple factors have contributed to the cost increases and schedule delays. Similarly, EM has faced challenges providing current cost and schedule information for operations activities that are consistent across headquarters and sites, and EM officials could not easily coordinate to reconcile the inconsistencies. Ensuring availability of complete project information and improving coordination to address the accuracy and consistency of cost and schedule information will help EM manage its projects and activities, report more accurate information to Congress, and provide support to sites, the report states.

GAO makes two recommendations to EM including to ensure the completeness of cost and schedule information relevant to capital asset projects and to coordinate with site officials and contractors to improve the accuracy of current and historical cost and schedule data for operations and activities, which DOE has concurred. 

Read the full report from GAO here.

ECA WEBINAR TOMORROW: HOW COLLABORATION AMONG PRIVATE COMPANIES AND COMMUNITY HOSTS WILL STRENGTHEN NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE INNOVATION

UPCOMING EVENTS:

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

ECA Winter Series: Options for High Level Waste and Used Nuclear Fuel

February 12, 2026

The siting of new nuclear facilities requires integrated nuclear waste solutions that balance technical, regulatory, and social readiness. This goes beyond just regulatory compliance - it demands trust, transparency, and shared problem-solving among local governments, state agencies, developers, and residents. This webinar will explore how siting efforts can deliver on these environmental management goals while accelerating project timelines, developing local economies, and strengthening community confidence in long-term energy infrastructure decisions. 

Speakers include: 

Facilitator: Laura Hermann - Deputy Executive Director, ECA 

Matt Bowen - Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy 

Kara Colton - Director of Nuclear Policy, ECA 

David Reeploeg - Vice President of Federal Programs, TRIDEC 

Jack Volpato - Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance 

View the full webinar recording here! 

ECA Winter Series: Co-location Options with Nuclear Storage

January 8, 2026

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.
Speakers include:
Moderator - Jennifer Chandler - Council Member, Village of Piketon 
Randall Hemann - City Manager, City of Oak Ridge 
David Pointer - Director, Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle Division, ORNL
Michele Sampson - Director, Division of New and Renewed Licenses, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, NRC
Dr. Jenifer Shafer- Associate Director for Technology and Program Director, ARPA-E

View the full webinar recording here! 

ECA Winter Series: Advancing New Nuclear with Datacenter Development

December 8, 2025

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.

Speakers include:

Moderator: AJ Ridge - Director of Programs, ECA

Iain Macdonald - Principal and Future Energy Systems Development Lead, HKS

Ilissa Miller - Editor-in-Chief, DataCenter Post

David Reeploeg - Executive Director, Hanford Communities

Peter Rodrik - Associate Administrator for Partnership and Acquisition Services, NNSA

Aditi Verma - Assistant Professor, University of Michigan

View the full webinar recording here! 

ECA Winter Series: Creating Emergency Response Planning for Nuclear Storage Projects

November 6, 2025

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 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

View the full webinar recording here! 

PODCASTS ON NUCLEAR: 

Gone Fission 2/9: 

It’s being called the biggest construction failure in American history. Companies went bankrupt. Executives went to jail. Ratepayers got stuck with the bill.
This week’s episode of the Gone Fission podcast takes a look at the history and current status of the Virgil Summer Nuclear Plant in South Carolina. Can this vital project be successfully revived? Can it contribute to future energy needs? Our guest is Jim Little, an industry veteran and member of the SC Governor’s Nuclear Advisory Council.

Virtual | February 12, 2026

Listen here!