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Division Spotlight
Operations & Power
Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
Meeting Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2025
Nuclear Technology
July 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Take steps on SNF and HLW disposal
Matt Bowen
With a new administration and Congress, it is time once again to ponder what will happen—if anything—on U.S. spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste management policy over the next few years. One element of the forthcoming discussion seems clear: The executive and legislative branches are eager to talk about recycling commercial SNF. Whatever the merits of doing so, it does not obviate the need for one or more facilities for disposal of remaining long-lived radionuclides. For that reason, making progress on U.S. disposal capabilities remains urgent, lest the associated radionuclide inventories simply be left for future generations to deal with.
In March, Rick Perry, who was secretary of energy during President Trump’s first administration, observed that during his tenure at the Department of Energy it became clear to him that any plan to move SNF “required some practical consent of the receiving state and local community.”1
James Lake has been an active ANS member for over 40 years. He is currently a member of the ANS Fuel Cycle & Waste Management and Reactor Physics Divisions. Dr. Lake is also an ANS Fellow.
He has had a technical and management career of more than 33 years where he provided R&D leadership and service to the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, most recently as the Associate Laboratory Director for Nuclear Programs at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). He founded James Lake & Associates, Inc. in 2008, after his retirement from the INL, and has held nuclear consulting contracts with the Idaho National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, General Electric, Savannah River Laboratory, and the Government of Canada.
Throughout the course of his career, Dr. Lake’s responsibilities included leadership and management of a $150M portfolio of R&D programs for development of advanced nuclear reactors and fuel cycle systems, radioisotope power systems for space exploration, nuclear science and engineering R&D, nuclear safety programs for the U.S. NRC, fusion safety, and high-temperature hydrogen production using nuclear heat. Earlier in his career, he was the lead nuclear designer for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Program at Westinghouse Advanced Reactors Division.
Dr. Lake had the honor to brief President George W. Bush on the potential for advanced nuclear reactor systems in March 2005.
As ANS President, he led the Society’s efforts to educate the public and government leaders about the benefits of nuclear energy. He visited more than 11 countries, 70 congressional and government offices, and provided invited testimony to Congress on nuclear energy issues. Dr. Lake is an elected Fellow of the American Nuclear Society.
He has conducted dozens of television, newspaper, and magazine interviews including CNBC Power Lunch, CBS Eye on Idaho, the Washington Post, the Wall St. Journal, U.S. News, Business Week, National Geographic, the Washington Times, and a feature article on “Next Generation Nuclear Power” for Scientific American. Dr. Lake founded and chaired the ANS Special Committee on Government Relations (the President’s “Kitchen Cabinet”) for than 15 years.
He earned a BA in Physics from Hanover College where he receive the College Alumni Achievement Award in 2008. He also earned an MA in Physics from Miami University (Ohio), and MS and PhD degrees in Nuclear Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology where he was elected to the Georgia Tech Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni in 1996.
Dr. Lake served on Advisory Committees for the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Texas A&M University, the College of Engineering at Oregon State University, and was an energy advisor to U.S. Senator Larry Craig (R-ID). He was a member of the ASME Presidential Task Force that proposed a new nuclear safety construct after the accident at Fukushima Diachi.
He holds two U.S. patents, is the author of more than 35 refereed articles in technical journals and conference proceedings, and has presented numerous invited keynote and plenary addresses at national and international conferences.
Read Nuclear News from July 2000 for more on Jim.
