The Utilities Service Alliance’s organizational banners.

The Utilities Service Alliance (USA) was founded in 1996. Current membership stretches from coast-to-coast and includes eight utilities and nine nuclear stations: Energy Northwest, Columbia; Luminant, Comanche Peak; Indiana Michigan Power Company, Cook; Nebraska Public Power District, Cooper; DTE Energy, Fermi; Xcel Energy, Monticello and Prairie Island; STP Nuclear Operating Company, South Texas Project; and Talen Energy, Susquehanna. These plants represent 14 reactors (six boiling water reactors and eight pressurized water reactors) and more than 15,000 MWe of generation.

The USA Material Cost Reduction (MCR) project kicked off in January 2017. The Nuclear Energy Institute’s Delivering the Nuclear Promise initiative was in full swing as the utilities’ chief nuclear officers created multiple focus areas for cost reductions at the plants.

Artist’s conception of Oklo’s Aurora. (Image: Gensler)

Oklo's 1.5-MWe fast spectrum design known as Aurora is the first advanced non–light-water reactor to be accepted for a licensing review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Both the reactor’s design and the anticipated licensing process mark a major departure from large light-water reactor design and licensing.

The United Kingdom’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) issued an improvement notice to EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Ltd. earlier this month for a problem involving the pressure systems safety regulations (PSSR) at the two-unit Heysham 1 nuclear power station. The notice was served following an inspection of the Unit 1 pressure vessel at the Lancashire site.

Citing reports that China has recently threatened to pull its support for new nuclear build in the United Kingdom, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on June 9 offered assistance from the United States and vehement criticism of Beijing.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a webinar on June 23 to discuss Holtec International’s license application to build and operate a consolidated interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel and greater-than-Class C waste in southeastern New Mexico.

Seven newly elected officers of the ANS Board of Directors began their terms on June 11 following the Board meeting during the 2020 ANS Virtual Annual Meeting. Continue reading to learn more about the new officers.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has published its annual report to Congress on “abnormal occurrences” for the previous fiscal year, identifying a total of nine incidents in FY 2019.

An abnormal occurrence is defined by the NRC as an unscheduled incident or event that it determines to be significant from a public health or safety standpoint. The NRC uses specific criteria, updated in October 2017, for determining which events qualify.

Framatome’s digital instrumentation and control (I&C) systems at the Doel nuclear power plant in Belgium have passed the final site acceptance test, the company announced on June 11. The news marks the completion of the project to modernize the control and emergency systems of Units 1 and 2, both of which entered commercial operation in 1975.

Fig. 1. Geographical spread of U.K. organizations engaged in the U.K. AFCP, including a number of the world leading U.K. universities. Image: NNL

Called “the first significant public investment in a generation,” the U.K. Advanced Fuel Cycle Program (AFCP) is driving innovation to underpin future nuclear deployment in the United Kingdom. Led jointly by the U.K. Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), the program involves more than 40 U.K. organizations, including a number of world-­leading U.K. universities (Fig. 1), and is working with international organizations across more than 10 countries, leveraging U.K. investment into more than £100 million in international programs.

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has initiated a 30-day public notice and comment period on a proposed change to the agency’s Environmental and Social Policy and Procedures that would allow it to consider support for nuclear power projects, according to a June 10 press release. Currently, DFC is specifically prohibited from offering support for such projects.

ANS Executive Director/CEO Craig Piercy has joined Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy (GCNP), making a commitment, along with over 50 other leaders in the GCNP network, to break down gender barriers in the field of nuclear policy.

Newswire is presenting coverage of sessions throughout the American Nuclear Society’s 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting. Here are links to articles from the meeting:

• General Chair’s Special Session: Advanced reactors in uncertain times (June 10)

• ANS Virtual Annual Meeting: Wednesday recap (June 10)

• Annual Meeting: YMG hosts technical sessions (June 10)

• ANS Virtual Annual Meeting: Tuesday recap (June 9)

• President’s Session: U.S global leadership in nuclear energy and national security (June 9)

• ANS congratulates award recipients during President’s Special Session (June 9)

• Kray signs MOU on future collaboration with NAYGN, NEI, and WIN (June 9)

• ANS Virtual Annual Meeting: Opening day recap (June 8)

• ANS Virtual Annual Meeting: Hydrogen is on the table (June 8)

• ANS congratulates award recipients during 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting (June 8)

• Nine new ANS Fellows named (June 8)

Thursday, June 11, recap

Dunzik-Gougar

Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar is the 66th president of the American Nuclear Society. On June 11, during a meeting of the Board of Directors that—like the rest of the 2020 ANS Annual Meeting—was held virtually, the duties of president were officially transferred from Marilyn Kray to Dunzik-Gougar, who will serve a one-year term as president. Kray will remain on the Board of Directors for one year as immediate past president.

Global First Power (GFP), Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC), and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) have announced the formation of a joint venture to construct, own, and operate USNC’s Micro Modular Reactor (MMR) at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ Chalk River Laboratories site in Ontario. The venture, known as the Global First Power Limited Partnership, is owned equally by OPG and USNC-Power, the Canadian subsidiary of USNC.

The Department of Energy has signed an amendment to a 2016 sales agreement with Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) that will provide the company with access to large stockpiles of DOE-owned depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6) tails as GLE looks to build its proposed uranium enrichment facility at the DOE’s Paducah site in Kentucky. As announced on June 5, the amendment is one of the conditions of a 2019 agreement by Australia’s Silex Systems Limited, Canada’s Cameco Corporation, and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy for the restructuring of GLE, the exclusive licensee of Silex’s laser uranium enrichment technology.

Separately, the DOE announced on June 5 that it has issued a formal record of decision for the shipment and disposal of depleted uranium oxide from the former gaseous diffusion plants at the department’s Paducah and Portsmouth sites in Ohio to one or more disposal facilities in the western United States.

The Diversity and Inclusion in ANS program is guided by the Diversity and Inclusion in ANS (DIA) Committee to promote diversity and inclusion in nuclear science, technology, and engineering and to promote and support the participation of underrepresented or marginalized groups within the Society, including—but not limited to—women, persons of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and persons with disabilities.

Newswire is presenting coverage of sessions throughout the American Nuclear Society’s 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting. Here are links to articles from the annual meeting:

• General Chair’s Special Session: Advanced reactors in uncertain times (June 10)
• Annual Meeting: YMG hosts technical sessions (June 10)
• ANS Virtual Annual Meeting: Tuesday recap (June 9)
• President’s Session: U.S global leadership in nuclear energy and national security (June 9)
• ANS congratulates award recipients during President’s Special Session June 9)
• Kray signs MOU on future collaboration with NAYGN, NEI, and WIN (June 9)
• ANS Virtual Annual Meeting: Opening day recap (June 8)
• ANS Virtual Annual Meeting: Hydrogen is on the table (June 8)
• ANS congratulates award recipients during 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting (June 8)
• Nine new ANS Fellows named (June 8)

The American Nuclear Society's Young Members Group (YMG) has organized several technical sessions for the 2020 ANS Virtual Annual Meeting, including the following. Recordings of all technical sessions are available for meeting attendees to view through the Virtual Annual Meeting Portal.

The final plenary session of the American Nuclear Society's 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting was the General Chair’s Special Session, held on Wednesday, June 10. The session contained much information about the current and future role of advanced reactor technology. The session, with the subtitle “The Promise of Advanced Reactors during Uncertain Times: National Security, Jobs and Clean Energy,” featured two panels: the Lab Directors Roundtable and the Advanced Reactor Panel. The general chair is Mark Peters, Idaho National Laboratory director. The session was moderated by Corey McDaniel, of Idaho National Laboratory, and the assistant general chair of the Annual Meeting.

A few of the issues covered during the dual plenary session included challenges to advanced reactor deployment, public-private partnerships in research and development, nuclear non-proliferation and security, workforce issues, and market conditions and demand.

Eisenhower

Lyons

Susan Eisenhower has issued a letter congratulating Peter B. Lyons, the 2020 recipient of the ANS Eisenhower Medal. Lyons, ANS Fellow and member since 2003, was honored during the award ceremony segment of the opening plenary of the 2020 ANS Virtual Annual Meeting. Attendees can view the presentation via the ANS meeting portal.