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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
In transition: Commercializing fusion power
Commercial fusion power is closer than ever. There are now around 30 U.S. fusion companies, several of which claim to be on track to connect to the grid as early as the 2030s.
Tokamak and laser inertial confinement approaches benefit from decades of research at facilities such as the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and ITER, with alternative concepts including stellarator, magnetic mirror, and Z-pinch confinement also making notable progress as private and government funding for fusion increases.
Technical Session|Panel|Sponsored by YMG|Cosponsored by ETWDD, OPD
Wednesday, November 18, 2020|2:40–4:20PM EST
Session Chair:
Hilary Lane (NEI)
Session Organizer:
Alternate Chair:
Timothy M. Crook
Staff Producer:
Dan Goldberg (American Nuclear Society)
The NRC regulates 31 research and test reactors (RTRs), many of which are located on college or university campuses. Because of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, many campuses temporarily closed, also placing the reactor in a secure shutdown mode, some for extended periods of time. However, select facilities continued to operate throughout the pandemic to meet “Critical Infrastructure” needs, as identified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. At the start of the pandemic, the Test, Research and Training Reactor (TRTR) organization along with NEI has been hosting routine calls with stakeholders for industry benchmarking, sharing of best practices, and to discuss generic areas where regulatory relief would be needed across the fleet. This panel will discuss the operational and regulatory response from the RTR fleet, as well as the unique transition towards opening campuses for the Fall 2020 semester.
Clive Townsend
Purdue Univ.
Les Foyto
Univ. of Missouri-Columbia
Edward Lau
MIT
Tom Newton
National Institute of Standards and Technology
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