The International Energy Agency has published a new report examining opportunities for the nuclear power industry to address concerns related to energy security and climate change. The Path to a New Era for Nuclear Energy explores areas of policy, innovation, construction, and financing with an emphasis on investment-related issues regarding small modular reactors.

The IEA report describes encouraging developments taking place in the nuclear energy industry, such as increasing investment, technology advances, and supportive policies in many countries. But it also notes that certain key challenges need to be overcome if nuclear energy is to meet the needs of rising electricity demand, including demands from artificial intelligence and data centers. In addition to examining the present global status of nuclear power, the report evaluates the long-term outlook, quantifying expected capacity and investment through 2050.

Social media this past weekend streamed with reactionary posts following a drone strike last Friday at the site of the destroyed reactor from the 1986 Chernobyl accident. The drone—armed with a warhead—ripped a hole in the New Safe Confinement (NSC), a large structure built to prevent any radioactive release from the damaged reactor unit 4 and to protect it from any external hazard. The drone strike caused a fire that was still smoldering in places as of Monday morning, and left a hole larger than 500 square feet. Efforts continue to mitigate the consequences of the fire and extinguish isolated smouldering areas of the NSC's insulation material.

Due to damage to the external and internal cladding of the NSC's arch and main crane system equipment, the safety boundaries and operational conditions of the NSC complex have been compromised, according to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant Facebook page.

Stellarator fusion energy company Type One Energy will collaborate with private equity firm Pine Island New Energy Partners (PINEP) to accelerate the maturation of a more robust supply chain for the fusion energy industry, the companies announced last week.

In materials science, understanding the unseen—how materials behave internally under real-world conditions—has always been key to developing new materials and accelerating innovative technologies to market. Moreover, the tools that allow us to see into this invisible world of materials have often been game-changers. Among these, neutron imaging stands out as a uniquely powerful method for investigating the internal structure and behavior of materials without having to alter or destroy the sample. By harnessing the unique properties of neutrons, researchers can uncover the hidden behavior of materials, providing insights essential for advancing nuclear materials and technologies.

The world’s first carbon-14 diamond battery became a reality in a United Kingdom laboratory this past December when it was created by scientists from University of Bristol and the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority.

Texas lawmakers are considering legislative action this session on recommendations made last November by the Texas Advanced Nuclear Reactor Working Group.

Senate Bill 1105 calls for the establishment of a state-run advanced nuclear energy authority, a state permitting office, and an advanced nuclear innovation fund. Republican state Sen. Tan Parker introduced the bill.

Nuclear footprint: Texas currently has two large nuclear plants—Commanche Peak and South Texas Project—comprising four reactors that supplied nearly 10 percent of the state’s power last year.

Small modular reactors are also planned in Texas. Dow Chemical and X-energy are targeting a cluster of SMRs to support Dow’s manufacturing site in Seadrift on the Gulf Coast. At Abeline Christian University, about 200 miles west of Dallas, Natura Resources plans to install a test reactor using molten-salt cooling.

French nuclear energy company Framatome and Belgian particle accelerator technology company Ion Beam Applications (IBA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance the industrial-scale production of the alpha-emitting medical radioisotope astatine-211 across Europe and the United States.

A joint resolution under consideration in the Wisconsin legislature aims to declare and promote the state’s support for nuclear power and willingness to deploy additional sources.

Lisa Marshall
president@ans.org

As I watched the coverage of former U.S. president Jimmy Carter’s earthly farewell, I reflected on being too young to remember his presidency yet being impacted many years later. A man of service, Carter had a connection to the nuclear field, and his experiences shaped his decisions and our enterprise.

Carter was admitted into the U.S. Naval Academy in 1943 and successfully graduated in the top 10 percent of his class. He was chosen by Admiral Rickover, after the legendary two-hour rite of passage interview, to be a naval submariner.

In December 1952, an experimental nuclear reactor in Chalk River, Ontario, experienced mechanical problems compounded by operator error that damaged the reactor core. Carter was part of the team that helped in the cleanup and repair operation.

WM Symposia (WM), which hosts the Waste Management Conference every year in Phoenix, Ariz., has launched a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) Educators’ Council to support educators as they prepare students for potential careers in the nuclear industry.

Type One Energy said it has entered into a cooperative agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority to jointly develop plans for a potential TVA fusion power plant project in the Tennessee Valley region using Type One Energy stellarator fusion power technology. The company said its 350-MWe fusion pilot power plant, named Infinity Two, could provide a complementary source of baseload electrical generation for the region as early as the mid-2030s.

Garrish

Theodore “Ted” Garrish—who has spent more than four decades working in nuclear—is President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as the Department of Energy’s assistant secretary for nuclear energy, or, NE-1.

The nomination was referred to the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on February 3. Garrish previously held the office from 1987 to 1989 under President Ronald Reagan. Most recently, Kathryn Huff held the NE-1 post, and Michael Goff has served as interim assistant secretary since Huff stepped down in May 2024.

Garrish’s most recent term in public office was as assistant secretary for the Office of International Affairs at the Energy Department, from 2018 to 2021, during Trump’s first term. Supporters say Garrish’s 40-plus years working in the nuclear industry and in nuclear energy oversight positions makes him more than qualified to serve in the DOE office again.

The government of South Africa has announced the passing of Senamile Masango, the country’s first black female nuclear scientist. The 37 year old, who many South Africans thought of as the “queen of science,” died on February 9 from undisclosed causes. Deputy President Paul Mashatile described Masango as “a beacon of hope for many young people, especially women.”

Nuclear powerhouse Constellation Energy announced Tuesday it will spend roughly $100 million to upgrade critical electrical systems and plant equipment at its Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant, where the company may pursue license renewals.

The University of California–San Diego has joined a new research collaborative focused on overcoming critical obstacles in developing and scaling up inertial fusion power plants. Led by San Diego-based General Atomics, the group was one of six research teams that were collectively awarded $107 million in January by the Department of Energy as part of the Fusion Innovative Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives.

It’s been less than two years since Germany shuttered its three remaining nuclear plants on April 15, 2023—the culmination of a decision reached during the backlash following the Fukushima Daiichi accident in Japan in 2011.

An International Atomic Energy Agency team has concluded that Spain has shown a strong commitment to nuclear and radiation safety, confirming that the country has successfully enhanced its regulatory framework, fully implementing IAEA recommendations made in 2018.

The Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management said it has reached a regulatory milestone ahead of schedule in preparing radioactive waste tanks for closure at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. DOE-EM said it received concurrence in January from the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that SRS had successfully removed waste from the site’s Tank 4 and may now proceed to waste sampling and analysis of that tank ahead of its closure.

The Roy G. Post Foundation announced on February 6 that a total of $310,000 in scholarships will be awarded this year to college students in recognition of their academic achievements, leadership qualities, and positive impacts on their communities.

The top three utilities in Arizona are teaming up to explore opportunities to add nuclear generation facilities in the state.

Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP), and Tucson Electric Power (TEP) announced in a February 5 news release that they are working together to assess possible sites, including retiring coal plants. The group is looking at possibilities for both small modular reactors—units generating 300 MW or less—and potential large reactor projects, which could generate nearly five times the power.