The deadline is fast approaching for submitting an application to become a technical reviewer for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s fiscal year 2025 research grant proposals.

Nuclear manufacturer BWX Technologies has announced its plan to acquire Kinectrics Inc. for approximately $525 million. The deal is expected to close in mid-2025.

Here is a recap of industry happenings from the recent past:

ADVANCED REACTOR MARKETPLACE

DOE signs up first foreign partner for ARPA-E project

The Department of Energy has selected Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre as the first-ever foreign partner to join an Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) research project. The program is designed to accelerate the commercial development of fusion energy, with a focus on developing materials for the fusion reactor wall that can withstand extreme temperatures and radiation.

Another calendar year has passed. Before heading too far into 2025, let’s look back at what happened in 2024 in the nuclear community. In today's post, compiled from Nuclear News and Nuclear Newswire are what we feel are the top nuclear news stories from January through March 2024. Some images below are of the covers of Nuclear News for the months as noted.

Stay tuned for the top stories from the rest of the past year.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is hosting a hybrid public meeting with Holtec next week to discuss plans for needed repairs at Michigan’s Palisades nuclear plant before bringing the unit back on line.

The U.S. General Services Administration has announced a historic long-term purchase of electricity, including carbon-free electricity, from Constellation New Energy Inc. to power 13 federal agencies. In combination with another GSA contract, Constellation secured more than $1 billion from the deal.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed for a second time the operating license for Unit 1 of Minnesota’s Monticello nuclear power plant.

Advanced nuclear company Oklo and data center developer Switch closed out 2024 by announcing a new partnership to deploy 12 GW of advanced nuclear power under a master power agreement.

The Department of Energy has offered up to $80 million of Inflation Reduction Act funding to back potential advancements in high-assay low-enriched uranium production. The new funding opportunity, announced in December, will prioritize technological advancement developing innovative technologies and approaches to strengthen the front-end of the HALEU supply chain. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. (EST) on February 26, 2025.

Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house
No electrons were flowing through even my mouse.

All devices were plugged in by the chimney with care
With the hope that St. Nikola Tesla would share.