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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
October 2026
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September 2026
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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.
2022 International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference Speaker
Dr. Robert Ledoux currently serves as a Program Director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy. His areas of interest include the intersection of nuclear physics and non-proliferation, energy production, and transportation. He is the program director of the ARPA-E ONWARDS program, which aims to reduce the disposal impact of advanced reactor waste.
Prior to joining ARPA-E, Dr. Ledoux served as the Founder, President, and CEO of Passport Systems, a technology company in non-intrusive cargo inspection. At Passport Systems Dr. Ledoux co-invented powerful new technologies with the US Department of Homeland Security Domestic Nuclear Detection Office to aid in the non-intrusive inspection of cargo and co-authored over 20 US and international patents. Prior to founding Passport Systems, he served as Vice President of Pyramid Technical Consultants, developing hardware and software for the control of magnetic scanning systems and accelerator control used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Previously as an Associate Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he studied high-energy nuclear interactions in search of new phases of hadronic matter.
Last modified October 27, 2022, 11:28am MST
