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Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Mar 2026
Jan 2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
March 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
April 2026
Latest News
Fixing the barriers: How new policies can make U.S. nuclear exports competitive again
The United States has a strong marketplace of ideas on future civil nuclear technology. President Trump wants to see 10 large reactors under construction by 2030 and has discussed making $80 billion available for that objective. Evolutionary small modular reactors based on light water reactor technology are on the market now, and the Tennessee Valley Authority expects a construction permit for a project at its Clinch River Site later this year.
Chief Executive Officer & President
Orano USA
Jean-Luc Palayer is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Orano USA, Orano’s operations in the United States providing commercial and federal customers with global expertise in nuclear materials management. Jean-Luc also serves as the President of Orano Federal Services, an Orano USA subsidiary. He oversees all five of Orano's business units in the U.S., including MCES for sales of uranium fuel, conversion and enrichment services; TN Americas offering the full breadth of transport packaging and used nuclear fuel management (pool to pad, storage, transportation, and ISFSI management); Orano Med for the development of medical isotopes for targeted immunotherapy for fighting cancer; Orano Federal Services supporting the development of advanced reactors and offering the full complement of engineering and technology to solve some of the more complex nuclear material processing, conditioning, and packaging for the U.S. Department of Energy; and Orano Enrichment USA developing the Project IKE uranium enrichment facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. With more than 20 years in the nuclear industry, Jean-Luc’s international leadership experience includes nuclear materials transportation and storage, front-end material production and deliveries, supply chain optimization, and industrial project development in the United States, Europe, and Asia. He began his career in 1999 with COGEMA (now part of Orano). In 2007, Jean-Luc was named Director of Business Analysis for AREVA Enrichment Services. In 2012, he served as Managing Director of AREVA Solar India and Vice-President of Operations for AREVA Solar Inc with the responsibility to lead construction projects in the United States and India. In 2015, he joined TN Americas (Orano TN) as Vice-President of Global Supply Chain and then as Chief Operating Officer, leading the project management organization, the nuclear manufacturing plants, and the field service business line. Jean-Luc holds a Master of Engineering degree from École des Mines and an Executive MBA from Georgetown University.
