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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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August 2026
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Center for Used Fuel Research: Building confidence in storage and transport
Used nuclear fuel storage and transportation have reached a critical juncture.
Dozens of utilities need reliable data on how used nuclear fuel performs in dry storage casks and canisters to extend regulatory licenses at sites across the United States. Likewise, the Department of Energy expects to take ownership of the used nuclear fuel—termed “spent nuclear fuel” in the laws and regulations governing its stewardship—and transfer it to one or more federal staging facilities for management and disposition.
Meanwhile, dozens of reactor companies are testing prototypes of advanced reactors and advanced reactor fuels. Eventually, regulators and industry must also verify the safety and security of storage methods for these advanced fuel types.
To help address these challenges, the DOE established the Center for Used Fuel Research (CUFR) in January 2026 for work related to the long-term storage and transport of used nuclear fuel.
2025 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
Theodore "Ted" Garrish serves as the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy. His career spans more than four decades with extensive experience in energy policy, nuclear waste management, and international affairs in both the federal government and private sector.
Prior to his confirmation, Mr. Garrish served as senior advisor to Secretary Chris Wright at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and previously worked as Principal with Annapolis Energy Consulting before rejoining the Department in January 2025.
Mr. Garrish’s tenure at DOE first started in 1981 where he served as General Counsel and later Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy. He also served as Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental and Public Affairs and was the Assistant Secretary for International Affairs from 2018 to 2021, where he helped secure agreements to start and expand civil nuclear programs in Poland and Romania. Mr. Garrish also worked as Federal Inspector of the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System during his in time federal service.
Mr. Garrish held several prominent roles in the private sector. He was vice president for CH2M HILL working on nuclear export controls and assisted emerging countries in developing legal, regulatory, and governance structures for the use of nuclear energy technology. Mr. Garrish also served as counsel to a small modular reactor company and is currently a member of the Department of Commerce’s international trade advisory committee. He’s also a former Vice President of the Nuclear Energy Institute where he focused on the nuclear fuel cycle.
Outside of the energy sector, Mr. Garrish helped create and served as managing partner for Wild Goose Brewery in Easton, Maryland in the early 1990s.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in economics and a juris doctorate from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Last modified October 10, 2025, 11:22am EDT
