TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS & WHAT TO KNOW THIS WEEK
- National Cleanup Workshop is only 54 days away - don't miss out! Register
today!
- 📅 Date: September 14-16
📍 Location: Arlington, VA 🔗 Don't miss out - Register Here!
- Federal Budget Update: late yesterday, the House passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the federal government funded ahead of the end of the fiscal year. Today, the
House is poised to vote on their version of the NDAA - read more below.
- NNSA Selects Amentum for SRS AI Data Center and Energy Generation Project - read more below.
- Three new GAO reports released - read more below.
- Register today for the Los Alamos Nuclear Forum
- 📅 Date: August 25
📍 Location: Los Alamos, NM 🔗 Don't miss out - Register Here!
- Visit ECA on LinkedIn for regular updates.
FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS & AUTHORIZATIONS UPDATECongress is preparing to end the current fiscal year with the movement of several appropriations bills including the Energy and Water Appropriations Act and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Estimates for when these bills would be passed have shifted to after November’s midterm elections. However, on Tuesday afternoon, the House brought their version of the NDAA to the floor for debate with a
vote on the bill likely to occur later today. Meanwhile in the Senate, their version of the NDAA is unlikely to make another appearance on the floor with leadership, noting that progress on the bill likely will not happen until after Labor Day. As the end of the fiscal year nears, legislators have begun considering continuing resolutions (CR) in order to keep the government funded at current spending levels due to funding
expiring on October 1. Late last night, the House passed their CR in a 220-205 vote. The House draft is a “clean” bill, meaning it will keep spending levels at their current rates and
has no unrelated policy provisions attached. The bill now heads to the Senate, where Senate appropriators are discussing a different approach: moving a CR forward with “anomalies” to prevent disruptions to services that may occur from flat funding. A full-year CR has also been proposed, but its viability largely depends on the outcome of the midterm elections. Following the midterm elections, this Congress will become
a “lame duck” Congress, offering an opportunity for many difficult bills to proceed (as there will be two years before the next election). Keep an eye on the Nuclear Waste Policy Act amendments and potentially other nuclear focused bills. ECA will continue to monitor these bills and provide updates as they progress through Congress. Stay up to date with the latest federal appropriations updates by visiting our updated Federal Budget Tracker here.
NNSA SELECTS AMENTUM FOR SRS AI DATA CENTER AND ENERGY GENERATION PROJECT
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) announced the selection of Amentum to enter negotiations for a phased lease to develop an artificial intelligence data center and dedicated on-site energy generation source at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The selection follows a competitive request for proposals issued by NNSA for
the Savannah River Site Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure and Energy Generation Project. This project supports the White House's goals of utilizing Federal lands to lower energy costs and help power the global AI race, as outlined in May 2025 Executive Orders. “This proposed partnership represents an opportunity to strengthen America’s
leadership in artificial intelligence, expand reliable energy generation, and strengthen our national security,” said NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams. “By working with the private sector, we can move faster, apply innovative technologies, and make productive use of federal land while maintaining our commitment to mission delivery.” Through the proposed project, NNSA and Amentum intend
to: - Rapidly construct a data center supported by sufficient on-site power generation while increasing the availability of power to the grid.
- Accelerate the development of AI and energy infrastructure.
- Use public-private partnerships to advance innovative technologies and strategies.
The proposed project pairs new AI infrastructure with dedicated on-site energy generation, helping ensure the
project’s electricity needs are met without shifting costs to existing utility customers. The project includes a 1-gigawatt data center and approximately 2-gigawatts of on-site energy generation consisting of natural gas bridging to nuclear energy. Click here to read the full press release.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released three reports related to nuclear energy development, clean up, and workforce. The titles of the reports are listed along with a brief descriptions below: - Nuclear Waste: DOE’s Plans to Complete Cleanup and Transfer of Moab Mill Site (link here)
Through the Moab Cleanup Project, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) has removed over 16 million tons of uranium mill tailings
and other materials at the Moab Mill Site in Utah, as of 2026. Tailings are leftover waste after uranium has been removed from rock. EM has sent the tailings and contaminated material to a nearby disposal site. EM is also working to remediate contaminated groundwater, which threatens the nearby Colorado River. EM is planning to finish cleanup and close the disposal site by 2029. Once cleanup is complete, DOE’s Office
of Legacy Management (LM) will take over long-term federal management responsibilities for the mill and disposal sites. EM and LM are coordinating on the future transfer of responsibility for long-term federal management of the sites through formal agreements and an integrated project team. DOE will maintain ownership of the disposal site but has not made a final decision about the mill site. However, EM expects to transfer ownership of most of the Moab Mill Site to Grand County, Utah
after EM finishes cleanup. If this happens, DOE would prefer that the community determine the mill site’s future use, and community stakeholders have proposed a plan that would include various recreational uses. - National Nuclear Security Administration: Additional Actions Needed to Plan for Science, Technology, and Engineering Facilities and Workforce Investments (link here)
In July 2024, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) released an internal Integrated Science, Technology, and Engineering (ST&E) Plan documenting
investments needed for ST&E capabilities over the next 20 years. NNSA’s plan identified and prioritized 46 ST&E facility investments across the nuclear security enterprise that support stewardship of the nuclear weapons stockpile and other NNSA missions. The investments were prioritized by mission importance and mission need time frame. They included sustainment and enhancement of existing facilities and construction of new facilities. NNSA also collected initial estimates of related ST&E workforce and programmatic investment needs from the nuclear security enterprise sites for the 20-year period. However, NNSA did not fully assess these funding needs and has no plans to do so. NNSA officials said that the plan focused on facility investments due to a deadline to provide that information for the agency’s Enterprise Blueprint, which was publicly released. Completing a comprehensive analysis of the
ST&E workforce and programmatic investment needs would allow NNSA to better understand the total funding needs for stockpile stewardship and proactively plan for those needs. GAO is making two recommendations to NNSA to analyze ST&E workforce and programmatic investment needs and to regularly update its integrated assessment of ST&E facility investment needs. NNSA’s comments outline actions it plans to take to
address both recommendations. - Department of Energy: Efforts to Streamline Project Management at National Laboratories and Nuclear Sites (link
here)
A Secretary of Energy memorandum directed revisions to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) construction order (known as 413.3B) to (1) allow increased delegation of approval authority for projects estimated to cost up to $300 million; and (2) limit independent reviews for projects estimated to cost between $300 million and $1 billion. As of January 2026, DOE and the National Nuclear
Security Administration (NNSA) were managing 80 capital asset projects at laboratories and sites where daily operations are carried out by management and operating (M&O) contractors. Revisions could affect 66 of the ongoing projects and future ones. GAO is recommending that DOE and NNSA each establish specific goals, outcomes, and performance measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the Secretary’s directed revisions.
DOE and NNSA concurred with GAO’s recommendations.
DON'T MISS OUT! REGISTER TODAY FOR THE NATIONAL CLEANUP WORKSHOP!
Register today for the annual National Cleanup Workshop from September 14th - 16th, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia! $1,375
Private Sector $875 DOE Approved Attendees*use DOE discount registration code ​$475 Virtual
New Speakers Announced: - Tim Walsh, Assistant Secretary, DOE-EM
- Joel Bradburne, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, DOE-EM
- Dave Brunnert, Chief Operating Officer, DOE-EM
- Jack Zimmerman, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regulatory and Policy
Affairs, DOE-EM
- Marla Morales, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Spent Fuel and High-Level Waste Disposition, DOE-NE
- Erik Olds, Manager, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management/Acting Manager, Portsmouth Paducah Project Office, DOE-EM
- Edwin R. Deshong, III, Manager, Savannah River Operations Office, DOE-EM
- Michael Lempke, President, Global Security, HII
- Benjamin
Souther, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Environmental and Security, Bechtel
- John Eschenberg, Senior Vice President, Amentum
- Al Collins, Business Group President, Mission Solutions, Fluor
- Heatherly Dukes, President, BWXT Technical Services Group
- Jeff Kendall, President, AtkinsRĂ©alis U.S. Nuclear
- David "DJ" Johnson, Vice President/General Manager,
HOneywell Federal Solutions; Chair, EFCOG
- Chuck Hope, Council Member, City of Oak Ridge, TN; Chair, ECA
- Mark Bollinger, Manager, Carlsbad Field Office, DOE-EM
- Ray Geimer, Manager, Hanford Field Office, DOE-EM
Schedule: Tuesday, September
15: Full-Day Programming, Evening Networking Reception Wednesday, September 16: Full-Day Programming
Thank you to our Sponsors!
BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS HEARING SCHEDULEOn
Capitol Hill, FY 2027 appropriations hearings are in full swing as both House and Senate committees hear testimony regarding the President's Budget Request. Incase you missed it! Here are recordings of recently passed hearings: As the FY27 appropriations and authorization process continues, stay up to date by visiting the recently updated ECA Federal Budget Tracker!
NEW! -
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission published a meeting announcement on Executive Order 14300 Rulemaking - Reforming and Modernizing the NRC’s Radiation Protection Framework. The meeting will take place on Monday, August 10, 2026; 1:00 -2:30 p.m. EDT and can be joined by following the access instructions at this link. Read the entire announcement
here. NEW! - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission published a proposed rule on Reforming and Modernizing the NRC’s Radiation Protection Framework. The NRC is proposing to to amend its regulations that govern its standards for protection against radiation. The proposed rule will be open to public comment until midnight on August 31,
2026. Comments can be submitted here. Read the entire proposed rule here. NEW! - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission published a proposed rule and
guidance;
request for comment on Modernizing Reactor Licensing, Safety Oversight, and Siting Practices. The NRC is proposing to modernize reactor licensing, safety oversight, and siting practices addressing sections 5(f), 5(h), and 5(i) of Executive Order 14300, and additional items that contribute to adding additional generation to the electrical grid. The proposed rule will be open to public comment until midnight on August 31, 2026.
Comments can be submitted here. Read the entire proposed rule here. NEW! - The Department of Energy published a meeting announcement
on Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah. The meeting will take place on Thursday, August 20, 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 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. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission published a proposed rule on Modernizing Materials Licensing. The NRC is proposing to amend its regulations for byproduct, source, and special nuclear material to modernize the NRC’s materials licensing requirements. The
proposed rule will be open to public comment until midnight on August 10, 2026. Comments can be submitted here. Read the entire proposed rule here. The Department of Energy published a meeting announcement on Environmental Management
Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford. The meeting will take place on Thursday, August 12, 2026; 8:00am - 4:30pm PDT at the U.S. Department of Energy, 2420 Stevens Center Place, Conference Room 153, Richland, Washington 99354. To receive the virtual access information, please contact the Deputy Designated Federal Officer, Meegan Tripp at (509) 376-2403 or [email protected]. Read the entire announcement here. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission published a proposed rule and draft guidance; public meeting; request for comment on Integrated Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal. The NRC is proposing to amend its regulations that govern the land disposal of low-level radioactive waste to expand regulatory coverage to include certain transuranic wastes. The proposed rule will be open to public comment until
midnight on August 17, 2026. Comments can be submitted here. Read the entire proposed rule here.
CATCH UP ON RECENT HEADLINES:
Idaho-Wyoming nuclear industry
partnership set to receive $31M federal award The federal government awarded a coalition that includes nuclear industry stakeholders in Idaho and Wyoming around $31 million to facilitate the growth of nuclear energy. The U.S. Economic Development Administration on Monday announced the award to the Intermountain-West Energy Corridor Tech Hub, a regional initiative led by the
nonprofit Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium. Read the
full article here. The Idaho National Laboratory will play a leading role in accelerating America’s advanced nuclear energy future as part of the Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Corridor (INEC) Tech Hub, a multistate, economic development initiative selected for a five-year, $31 million federal
grant through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. Read the full article here. Karthik Subramanian, Chief Engineer and Innovation Director for Hanford Tank Waste Operations Closure, discusses the progress of the work taking place at Hanford and the plans to clean-up, regenerate and re-industrialise the area, emulating a model demonstrated at the Oak
Ridge and Savannah River sites. Listen to the podcast here.
REGISTER TODAY FOR THE LOS ALAMOS NUCLEAR FORUM
Register today for the Los Alamos Nuclear Forum on August 25 in Los Alamos, NM at the SALA Event Center! The
Los Alamos Nuclear Forum brings together the leaders shaping the next generation of nuclear energy, national security, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and critical infrastructure. Hosted in the birthplace of the Atomic Age, LANF is where government, national laboratories, industry, investors, utilities, Tribal leaders, universities, and policymakers come together to move nuclear innovation from research to
real-world deployment.
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 on our YouTube channel!
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