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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Jun 2026
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2026
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July 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
NN Asks: Is the U.S. ready for nuclear construction to accelerate?
Craig Stover
Yes, but . . .
The United States is better positioned today for nuclear construction than it has been in decades. Some of that comes from the experience gained at Vogtle and V.C. Summer. I was part of the team that helped start the V.C. Summer project in 2008, and at that time we were trying to build a nuclear construction workforce from scratch. We learned a lot through that effort, and many of those lessons learned have since been studied, documented, and shared.
The nuclear industry is also benefiting from the wave of investment that started growing around 2020. Over the last five or six years, there has been a serious effort across the country to get ready for new nuclear builds. The U.S. government and the private sector are investing billions of dollars in new nuclear. Much of that work is happening before widespread commercial deployment contracts are signed. This is real, and we need to prepare.
2022 ANS Annual Meeting
Partner
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
Amy Roma is a Partner at the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. She is a leading authority on nuclear energy, fusion, and advanced power regulations, advising on the regulatory and commercial strategies that determine whether next generation energy projects are financed, licensed, and built.
She represents leading and emerging nuclear market participants — including reactor developers, industrial energy users, utilities, investors, and government stakeholders — in high-stakes commercialization strategy and strategic engagement with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Her work spans complex licensing proceedings, regulatory approvals, compliance matters, and investigations involving advanced reactors, small modular reactors (SMRs), microreactors, fusion systems, fuel cycle facilities, and space and defense nuclear applications.
Her practice is centered on the commercialization of first-of-a-kind energy technologies. She advises companies, investors, and strategic partners on designing innovative regulatory pathways and durable commercial structures that enable deployment — aligning licensing strategy, capital formation, investment structuring, offtake arrangements, and supply chain frameworks to bring advanced nuclear and fusion projects to market.
She also advises on strategic investments in new and existing nuclear projects, with particular focus on nuclear liability regimes, export controls, foreign ownership and control considerations, and the evolving global deployment landscape. Her work frequently sits at the intersection of nuclear energy with AI infrastructure, industrial decarbonization, space, and defense.
Recognized by the Financial Times as one of the Most Innovative Lawyers in Technology and among the top 10 Most Innovative Lawyers in North America, Amy is a trusted voice in global energy innovation. She maintains deep working relationships across various government agencies and has testified multiple times before the U.S. Congress. Amy is frequently called upon to address issues of grid reliability, decarbonization, national security, and advanced energy deployment.
She also leads several high-profile humanitarian initiatives, including coordinating the use of the New England Patriots team aircraft to secure and transport two million masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
