Policy Activity
Indiana Governor Signs Nuclear Executive Order
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed an order this month to establish the Nuclear Indiana Coalition to advance small modular reactor (SMR) development in the state and attract nuclear industries. The coalition is tasked with identifying federal programs and incentives, examine regulatory constraints, engage developers, develop policy, and provide outreach and education related to boosting the state’s nuclear industry. Indiana does not currently have a commercial reactor, but the state’s Purdue University has a research reactor. The state has made multiple movements to develop nuclear in recent years, including the recently passed SB 424 and a SMR impact study from Purdue last year.
State Legislation Updates
Colorado HB 1040 (enacted) defines nuclear power as clean energy in the state. Geothermal, solar, small hydroelectricity, wind, hydrogen, and nuclear are now considered clean energy sources in the state.
Indiana SB 424 (enacted) allows interested utilities that develop nuclear generation to recover pre-construction costs before construction begins, removing a financial barrier to undertaking novel nuclear projects. Utilities may petition the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission for approval to adjust rates and may recover 80% of the pre-construction costs. Utilities must also seek any available potential federal funding programs for nuclear development.
Kentucky HCR 22 (signed by governor) declares that nuclear power generation is a clean and dispatchable means of providing baseload electricity to the residents and businesses
Kentucky SB 179 (enacted) creates the Nuclear Energy Development Grant Program through the Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority to allocate existing appropriations toward research and development in the state, including $2 million toward laser and photonics research and $8 million toward the new grant program.
Delaware SCR 18 (passed in Senate) would create a task force to study nuclear energy in the state. The task force is directed to study the feasibility of deploying SMRs in Delaware, focusing on the economic and environmental benefits and energy independence. The state currently produces the least total energy in the U.S. and is fourth in total energy use.
New Jersey SB 4143 (introduced) would require all electricity for artificial intelligence (AI) to be from renewable or nuclear generation sources, or a combination of the two. The bill would also require an energy usage plan for all AI centers that includes generation source, water use optimization strategy, efforts to minimize energy use, and efforts to heat produced by data centers, among other provisions. The bill prohibits any AI data center from connection to the grid without meeting these requirements.
Texas HB 14 (introduced) would offer loans for nuclear construction, grants for new reactors, and research. The bill would also allocate funding to create the new Texas Advanced Nuclear Deployment Office to oversee nuclear development and licensing. Texas is currently developing multiple SMR projects and state officials have shared that they foresee further large-scale development to meet demand in the state.
Utah HB 249 (enacted) creates the nuclear energy consortium to advise the legislature on nuclear development in the state. The consortium will make recommendations on development, incentives, partnerships, regulatory frameworks, and other relevant parameters.
Washington HB 1481 (introduced) would further Washington’s efforts toward developing nuclear in the state by directing the state to contract a third party to complete a commercial liftoff for energy from advanced nuclear study. The study requires an assessment of maximizing the benefits of SMRs in the state, including workforce development. In addition to this bill, HB 1249 creates the commercial liftoff for energy from advanced nuclear advisory commission to identify best practices to further nuclear development in the state. The commission would be comprised of 13 voting members and required to meet five times each year to develop nuclear recommendations for nuclear facilities and policy.
Washington HB 1679 (introduced) amends existing legislation to add advanced nuclear projects to qualifying types of utility investment projects where clean and renewable projects currently qualify under the state’s Clean Energy Transformation Act. The Clean Energy Transformation Act commits Washington to be greenhouse gas emission-free by 2045.
Nuclear Power Plants and Infrastructure
Duke Extends South Carolina Plant License 20 Years
Duke Energy’s Oconee Nuclear Station in South Carolina has renewed the operating license for its three units through 2053 and 2054. This is the plant’s second license renewal. The plant has been in operation since 1973, making the facility Duke’s first plant to reach the industry milestone of approval to operate for 80 years. Oconee Nuclear Station is Duke’s largest nuclear station with a capacity of 2,554 megawatts, and the company’s nuclear fleet provides North and South Carolina with over 50% of the states’ electricity. Read more about Duke Energy’s facilities here.
NRC Denies Hearing for Palisades Anti-Nuclear Opposition
Federal regulators with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) denied a request for a formal hearing on concerns related to restarting the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Michigan after hearing oral testimony from the public. Opposing coalitions to the plant raised safety and licensing concerns with the NRC, expressing that the agency does not have a clearcut regulatory process for restarts, which could lead to safety issues. The agency ruled that the concerns were not legally admissible and does not merit a formal hearing. Holtec, the plant’s parent company, is still undergoing the regulatory process with the NRC and is currently making many repairs to the reactor and facility. Though many hope to have the plant open by the end of this year, the needed repairs may slow the licensing process. To review the process and status of the restart, check the NRC’s dashboard on Palisades.
Materials, Nuclear Fuel, and Spent Nuclear Fuel
Vogtle Unit 2 is First to Commercially Test Higher Enriched Fuel
Georgie’s Vogtle Unit 2 reactor is the first commercial reactor in the U.S. to use low-enriched uranium plus (LEU+) fuel, nuclear fuel with a higher concentration of uranium. The advanced fuel extends the length of fuel cycles, reducing the number of refueling outages needed. The fuel was developed by Westinghouse and manufactured in the UK last year as part of DOE’s accident tolerant fuels program. Standard fuel is enriched between 3% and 5%, whereas Westinghouse’ LEU+ fuel is enriched up to 8% by weight uranium-235. For advanced reactors, high-assay low enriched uranium, or HALEU, is enriched between 5% and 20%.
HALEU Efforts Continue, DOE Announces First Allocation Priorities
The Department of Energy announced commitments to provide HALEU to five U.S. companies. The conditional commitment offers HALEU manufactured as part of DOE’s HALEU availability program, under which DOE purchases fuel through domestic agreements to distribute on a priority basis. The first companies to be selected for fuel prioritization include TRISO-X, Kairos Power, Radiant Industries, Westinghouse Electric Company, and TerraPower. DOE indicates that fuel may be available for these companies as early as fall 2025.
Operations and Partnerships
FERC will not Hear Amazon Case
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has denied a request for a rehearing on the decision to deny Amazon and Talen Energy’s data center partnership. Last year, FERC denied a deal between the two companies, stating that there was not a compelling enough reason to allow a behind-the-meter connection and an increase of power beyond 300 megawatts. The agency cited grid reliability and customer rate increases as an opposing argument. After the ruling, Talen indicated they would seek a rehearing, which has now been denied. The company has stated that they are now seeking a hearing in the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Dow files NRC Permits for Texas SMRs
X-Energy and Dow have taken a key step toward Texas SMR development by filing construction permits with the NRC at the end of last month. The partnership will use X-Energy's Xe-100 reactor design to power Dow’s Seadrift manufacturing site and is part of the DOE’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. The NRC will now review the construction permit, which can take up to 30 months for full review. Once a permit is issued, if Dow and X-Energy are on track to deliver the reactor design, construction can begin.
Research and Technology
DOE Considers Data Centers at Federal Sites
The DOE has identified 16 sites across the U.S. for data center development on federal land. These sites are selected to quickly develop data centers with new energy generation, including SMR-powered data centers. The sites include National Laboratories where energy development, nuclear, and computing research is already underway and other facilities related to energy research and development. Sites include Idaho National Laboratory, Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, and Los Alamos National Laboratory, among 13 others. The effort is part of the new Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence and Unleashing American Energy initiatives. The full RFI and a list of identified sites can be found here.
Other News
IAEA Donates Medical Supplies to Ukraine’s Nuclear Workforce
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) delivered more medical supplies and a new ambulance to Ukraine this week to support the country’s nuclear workforce during ongoing war with Russia. Nuclear safety has been an international concern, with the country’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant situated on the front lines of the war, though the plant’s reactors are all currently shut down. Staff have remained employed and working at the country’s plants throughout the war. The IAEA has previously donated supplies to nuclear plant operators in the country and the American Nuclear Society has launched a relief fund to help support nuclear workers. The IAEA has maintained a continued presence in Ukraine to ensure nuclear site safety and respond to any security concerns expressed by the country.