ECA Update 6/23; DOE TO ROLL OUT $17.5B FOR LARGE-SCALE REACTOR DEPLOYMENT, NRC PROPOSED RULE ON NUCLEAR FUEL, AND MORE

Published: Tue, 06/23/26

Updated: Tue, 06/23/26

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS & WHAT TO KNOW THIS WEEK

Appropriations Update: the House Rules Committee met to establish the rules to govern floor debate for the House Energy & Water Bill. In anticipation of the debate, proposed amendments have been released (click here to read through the 134 amendments submitted).
DOE to roll out $17.5B to help deploy large-scale nuclear reactors - read more below.
NRC proposed rule changes to accelerate advanced nuclear fuel infrastructure - read more below.
DOE celebrates second advanced reactor achieving criticality - read more below.
National Cleanup Workshop registration is open!
- 📅 Date: September 14-16 📍 Location: Arlington, VA 🔗 Don't miss out - Register Here!
Visit ECA on LinkedIn for regular updates.

DOE TO ROLL OUT $17.5B TO HELP DEPLOY LARGE-SCALE NUCLEAR REACTORS

The White House announced Tuesday it would provide $17.5 billion in low-cost loans to utilities and power companies to help speed the construction of up to 10 new large nuclear reactors to meet the surging demand for electricity from data centers.

The move is the most aggressive effort yet by the Energy Department’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF) to back nuclear power. It aims to help develop the supply chain for Westinghouse's AP1000 reactors and drive a nuclear "renaissance" to increase output from the energy source that has seen only two new major reactors built in three decades.

"We are confident that these projects will be economic for utility shareholders, ratepayers and hyperscalers," Greg Beard, director of EDF, told reporters. "It will accelerate commercial operations dates for these larger actors by up to three years, will drive procurement savings, and will expand manufacturing capacity in the United States."

Each loan would support two reactors at five separate project sites, DOE said. Those projects would be owned by both the utility or energy company sponsoring it and Westinghouse, which would commit $1 billion upfront combined in project equity to have access to the department’s loan.

The Department said that Westinghouse has “signed letters of intent with seven potential partners,” though it did not identify the companies, utilities or project sites. DOE ultimately plans to choose five locations.

Much of the nuclear power industry's focus has shifted in recent years to developing small modular reactors that the sector hopes will be quicker and easier to develop than the large reactors, like the AP1000, which has a capacity of about 1,100 megawatts of electricity. Two of those Westinghouse reactors were built by Southern Co's Georgia Power and came online in 2023 and 2024 — but only after significant construction delays and cost overruns that pushed their combined price tag above $30 billion, more than double the initial estimates.

The new DOE effort would help speed up construction of reactors by helping Westinghouse and in the hopes of meeting the administration’s target to have 10 new large reactors under construction by 2030.

The White House has set numerous goals for the future of nuclear power across the U.S. amid rising demand from artificial intelligence and data centers, including a target to increase American nuclear capacity four-fold to 400 gigawatts by 2050. The administration is also nearing a self-imposed deadline to achieve criticality for at least three advanced nuclear reactors by July 4.

“To [reach the] goal to add 300 gigawatts of new nuclear generation in the United States, we need to use all technologies, and we critically need to build more large reactors again in the United States,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright told reporters.

Secretary Wright added the loans will be used to “get a supply chain going” in order to build reactors “faster and quickly.” How quickly a project can deploy will be "a big part of the criteria" for who gets DOE capital, Beard said. He added that DOE is currently getting interest from sites that have existing reactors as well as ones that do not.

Wright has continued to tout the utility of the office to finance projects aligned with The White House's stated priorities — most notably to support the build-out of nuclear power. The administration has repeatedly said the office will play a key role in financing those projects, which are at the center of the energy and AI agenda.

The office announced its largest investment in February: $26.5 billion to support infrastructure investments by Alabama Power and Georgia Power, including for nuclear upgrades. And it also finalized a $1 billion loan to help restart the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania.

Click here to read the entire article.

NRC PROPOSES RULE CHANGES TO ACCELERATE ADVANCED NUCLEAR FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE

Last week, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) proposed sweeping changes to fuel-cycle and materials licensing regulations, including a streamlined licensing pathway for reprocessing facilities and updated requirements for advanced reactor fuels aimed at accelerating deployment of next-generation nuclear technologies. The proposed rule is intended to reduce regulatory barriers and accelerate development of the fuel infrastructure needed to support next-generation nuclear energy technologies.

“America is rebuilding the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle at a pace not seen in decades,” Chairman Ho K. Nieh said. “These proposed rules support American leadership in nuclear energy through safety-focused and efficient licensing.” The changes would modernize regulations governing the production, storage, use and security of nuclear materials, helping advanced reactor developers move more efficiently from fuel development to commercial operation. By streamlining licensing processes and reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens while maintaining rigorous safety standards, the proposal supports efforts to expand domestic nuclear fuel capabilities and deliver more reliable electricity to the nation’s power grid. The proposed rule is part of the NRC’s broader regulatory modernization initiative under Executive Order 14300 and builds on congressional direction in the ADVANCE Act to create a more predictable, efficient, and technology-inclusive regulatory framework for emerging nuclear technologies. The NRC plans to hold a public meeting on the proposed rule soon. The NRC is also seeking public input on several related areas, including reprocessing facility licensing, pilot fuel line oversight, waste management, operator qualification, and change-control processes.

Read the full announcement from the NRC here.

DOE CELEBRATES SECOND ADVANCED REACTOR ACHIEVING CRITICALITY

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today celebrated another milestone in America’s nuclear renaissance. DOE Reactor Pilot Program participant Valar Atomics’ advanced reactor design, Ward 250, successfully completed a zero-power fueled criticality demonstration. The experiment took place at the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab in Emery County, Utah, and marks the first DOE-authorized reactor built outside of a national laboratory.

Ward 250 is the second of multiple advanced reactors anticipated to go critical by the July 4th deadline set by the May 2025 executive order. Criticality demonstrates that Ward 250 can sustain a controlled nuclear chain reaction, which must be achieved before the reactor can generate power. Earlier this month, Antares Nuclear’s Mark-0 reactor achieved criticality at Idaho National Laboratory.

“Nine months ago, this was an empty site. Today, there's a critical reactor on it, built and operated by the Valar team,” said Isaiah Taylor, Founder & CEO of Valar Atomics. “We met the milestone the executive order set. This reactor was built to make power, and that's exactly where we're headed. I'm grateful to the Department of Energy, the State of Utah, the local community, and the many people who got us here.”

The Department’s Reactor Pilot Program has catalyzed rapid innovation and progress in furthering American advanced reactor designs. The Reactor Pilot Program leverages DOE authorization to expeditiously certify and construct first-of-a-kind advanced reactor designs for demonstration. Building on the Reactor Pilot Program’s success, DOE recently established the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad to further accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies.

Read the full announcement from DOE here.

BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS HEARING SCHEDULE

On Capitol Hill, FY 2027 appropriations hearings are in full swing as both House and Senate committees hear testimony regarding the President's Budget Request. Below is a list of upcoming hearings of interest:

On Wednesday, June 24 at 11:00am ET, the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense will host a Full Committee Markup of Fiscal Year 2027 Defense Bill- click here to tune in to the hearing.

Incase you missed it! Here are recordings of recently passed hearings:

The House Energy & Commerce Committee held a hearing on Nuclear Permitting Reform: Legislation to Advance Efficient Licensing - click here to rewatch the hearing.
The House Science Committee held a hearing on An Overview of the Department of Energy’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request - click here to tune in to the hearing.The House Committee on Armed Services hosted a Full Committee Markup of National Defense Authorization for Fiscal Year 2027- click here to rerewatch the hearing.
The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hosted a hearing to examine the Build Nuclear with Local Materials Act, The RECHARGE Act, and a discussion draft of the Enrichment Licensing Modernization Act - click here to rewatch the hearing.
The House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee of Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies hosted a Full Committee Markup of Fiscal Year 2027 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Bill - click here to rewatch the markup.
House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee of Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee Markup of Fiscal Year 2027 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Bill - click here to watch the recording.
Senate Committee on Armed Services held a hearing on Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration atomic energy defense activities in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2027 and the Future Years Nuclear Security Program - click here to watch the recording.
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing to Examine the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Proposed Fiscal Year 2027 Budget - click here to watch the recording.
House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on FY27 Budget Request for Nuclear Forces and Atomic Energy Defense Activities - click here to watch the recording.
Senate Committee on Appropriations held a hearing on the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request for the National Nuclear Security Administration - click here to watch the recording.

As the FY27 appropriations and authorization process continues, stay up to date by visiting the recently updated ECA Federal Budget Tracker!

REGULATORY ROUND UP

New! The Office of Management and Budget published a proposed rule proposes to revise the Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance to improve government-wide policies and requirements related to the management of grants, cooperative agreements, and other forms of assistance. OMB is proposing revisions that would improve transparency, accountability, and oversight for Federal awards across the Federal Government. Public comments will be accepted until July 13, 2026 using this link.

Read the full proposed rule here.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission published a policy statement on Mandatory Hearings for Reactor Licensing. This policy statement sets forth the NRC’s plan for conducting future mandatory hearings on reactor license and permit applications. The statement explains the rationale for adopting the process to be used going forward and describes the new process. The policy statement is effective on June 8, 2026.

Read the full policy statement here.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission published a proposed rule on Modernizing NRC Regulations for Byproduct Material Use. The NRC is proposing to amend its regulations for the licensing of byproduct material, some source material, and some special nuclear material. The proposed rule will be open to public comment until midnight on July 2, 2026. Comments can be submitted here.

Read the entire proposed rule here.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold the 737th Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards on July 8 - 10, 2026. The Committee will be conducting meetings that will include some Members being physically present at the headquarters of the NRC while other Members participate remotely. You can participate remotely via Microsoft Teams or via phone at 301–576–2978, passcode 136614530#. View a detailed agenda and the Microsoft Teams link here.

Read the entire meeting announcement here.

The Department of Energy published a meeting announcement on Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah. The meeting will take place on Thursday, July 16, 2026; 5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m. CDT at the West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC), Emerging Technology Center, Room 215, 5100 Alben Barkley Drive, Paducah, Kentucky 42001. and streamed on YouTube (link here), no registration is necessary.

Read the entire announcement here.

The Department of Energy published a meeting announcement on Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 21 from 9:00 am - 4:00pm EDT at the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative at 4345 Trolley Line Road, Aiken, South Carolina 29801 and streamed on YouTube (link here), no registration is necessary.

Read the entire announcement here.

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) and Department of Transportation (DOT) published a request for comment on the Development of a Commercially Viable System-Centric Small Modular Reactor Concept for Deployment in the Marine Transportation System to support the development of a U.S.-built scalable, repeatable, commercially viable, system-centric, small modular reactor (SMR) and their deployment within the marine transportation system. This Request for Information (RFI) for a single vessel or technology demonstration seeks public feedback on proficient system architecture, including liability frameworks, insurance pathways, port acceptance, workforce development, and standards integration for vessel deployment. The request for comment will be open to public comment until midnight on August 5, 2026. Comments can be submitted here.

Read the entire request for comment here.

READ THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE ECA BULLETIN

At the ECA Forum, the latest issue of the ECA Bulletin was released in print, and now a digital copy can be accessed on the ECA website, and by clicking the button below. Reread important updates from ECA like:

South Carolina's nuclear energy growth
Resources for communities - ECA's Reprocessing Guide & Nuclear Handbook
How energy communities are open for business
Current FY 2027 federal budget and appropriations breakdown
Featured ECA webinars
...and more!

Read the ECA Bulletin Here!

REGISTER TODAY FOR THE NATIONAL CLEANUP WORKSHOP

Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) is pleased to host the 12th annual National Cleanup Workshop from September 14th - 16th, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia. Hear from senior DOE leaders, local government officials, and industry leaders about DOE's cleanup priorities, the future of the workforce, and more.

Click Here to Register!

Key Topics of Discussion Include:

EM’s new vision for utilizing legacy cleanup to advance American Energy dominance, innovation and affordability.
The opportunities for EM to contribute to, and benefit from, DOE’s Genesis Mission to more effectively utilize AI to tackle national challenges.
The intersection of legacy cleanup and advancing DOE’s modernization of the U.S. nuclear deterrent.
EM’s role in the new nuclear renaissance underway across America.
Industry leadership perspectives on DOE’s cleanup and energy missions.
The potential for local communities to capitalize on advances in new nuclear.

Schedule:

Tuesday, September 15: Full-Day Programming, Evening Networking Reception

Wednesday, September 16: Full-Day Programming

Full agenda coming soon!

Click Here to Register!

CATCH UP ON RECENT HEADLINES:

Georgia nuclear power plant cleared for 80-year operating life

The two boiling water reactor units at Georgia Power's Edwin I Hatch plant have been cleared by the NRC to operate until the mid-2050s.

Read the full article here.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

National Cleanup Workshop 2026

Arlington, VA | September 14-16

Learn More Here

CATCH UP ON PAST WEBINARS

Click the button below to visit ECA's YouTube Channel to rewatch past webinars, and find the recordings from our most recent webinars below!

Click Here to Visit ECA's YouTube Channel!

How Collaboration Among Companies and Community Hosts Will Strengthen Nuclear Fuel Cycle Innovation

March 5, 2026

DOE’s recent Request for Information on Nuclear Fuel Cycle Innovation Campuses signals federal interest in accelerating advanced fuel capabilities — potentially including HALEU production, fuel fabrication, recycling, testing infrastructure, and integrated research hubs. Today’s discussion focuses on the central question: How will collaboration among private companies and community leaders strengthen the delivery of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Innovation Campuses? Join the discussion to explore different models and how public-private collaboration can strengthen proposals, reduce risk, and build durable local support.

Speakers will include:

John Pfeffer - Supervisor, Town of Ashford

Bill Goodwin - Chief Legal & Strategy Officer, Oklo

Rod Baltzer - CEO, Deep Isolation

Curtis Roberts II - VP of Communications and Press Officer, Orano USA

View the full webinar recording here!

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!

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!

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!

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!

DOE BUDGET TRACKER

Monitor DOE spending bills, detailed site budgets, and more. Find everything you need to know about the budget here!

BUDGET CHARTS

ECA PUBLICATIONS

1133 Connecticut Ave
Suite 1200
Washington D.C. 20036
USA

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options