Deep Isolation asks states to include waste disposal in their nuclear strategy

Deep Isolation’s recommendations were submitted in response to NASEO’s consultation on its Advanced Nuclear First Movers Orderbook Strategy, which outlines how 11 “first mover” states are collaborating to accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear power through an integrated orderbook supported by collaborative pathways for financing, siting, workforce, and supply chains.

“We see a missing piece in this orderbook strategy—the absence of nuclear waste disposal,” said Rod Baltzer, CEO of Deep Isolation. “By embedding disposal into their orderbook strategy, first mover states can reduce financial risk, increase investor confidence, and build public trust that advanced nuclear comes with a complete lifecycle solution.”

Baltzer added that Deep Isolation’s deep borehole drilling technology, adapted from the oil and gas industry, along with the company’s disposal canister system, can play a key role in helping states meet its nuclear waste challenges.

Background: Facilitated by NASEO, Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Department of Energy’s Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear, the Advanced Nuclear First Mover Initiative is being led by state cochairs New York, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Wyoming, with participating states Louisiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.

According to NASEO, the governors of these states are committed to working with the private sector, the DOE, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to accelerate advanced nuclear projects and bring more power to the electric grid for reliability, sustainability, and economic growth.

On September 16, NASEO issued a request for information on the initiative to provide the organization and first mover states with information on a potential structure for an advanced nuclear project orderbook strategy, status and use cases for different nuclear technologies, and investment and coordination models.

“The orderbook approach moves away from one-off demonstrations to propel widespread market adoption by building a robust demand signal for the most viable advanced nuclear technologies,” NASEO said.

The deadline for the RFI was recently extended from October 10 to October 17.

Recommendations: Noting that the lack of a safe, permanent waste solution remains one of Americans’ top concerns about nuclear power, Deep Isolation said its recommendations draw on consensus across the advanced reactor industry, as reflected in the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council’s “Action Plan for Transforming the Back End of the U.S. Nuclear Fuel Cycle.”

“Deep Isolation calls on NASEO to integrate USNIC’s recommendations into its orderbook strategy: working collaboratively with communities to accelerating innovative disposal technologies, launching near-term demonstrations, and mobilizing private investment through public-private partnerships and legislative reform,” the company said.

Deep Isolation’s submission highlights three specific calls to action for participating states:

• Join the Deep Borehole Demonstration Center, a Cameron, Texas, nonprofit where the company plans to conduct a full-scale nonradioactive deep borehole disposal pilot with initial canister emplacement targeted for 2027.
• Support early borehole demonstrations in their states, including via joint initiatives with the DOE at federal laboratories such as INL or ORNL (consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order 14302 to leverage these sites for innovative nuclear demonstrations).
• Champion the USNIC’s fuel cycle action plan by advocating in Congress for legislative reforms that unlock innovation and public-private partnerships.

The USNIC’s policy recommendations are similar to those made by the American Nuclear Society in its recent letter to Energy Secretary Chris Wright and in ANS Position Statement #3, Management of the Nation’s Used Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Waste.