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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Aug 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2026
Nuclear Technology
September 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
August 2026
Latest News
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.
International High Level Radioactive Waste Management (IHLRWM 2025) &
Advances in Nuclear Nonproliferation Technology and Policy Conference (ANTPC 2025)
John Kotek is Senior Vice President for Policy and Public Affairs at the Nuclear Energy Institute, and is President of Nuclear Matters, a grassroots coalition of nuclear energy advocates. From 2015-2017, John served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy in the US Department of Energy. John was Staff Director to the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, which in 2012 recommended a new strategy for the U.S. nuclear waste management program. John has also served as a Congressional fellow, an R&D program manager at Argonne National Laboratory-West in Idaho, and as a public affairs consultant. He holds a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Maryland.
Last modified October 28, 2025, 3:23pm EDT
