When deployments hit setbacks: Cautionary tales in Idaho and Alaska

December 4, 2023, 3:00PMNuclear News
A map of the potential reactor siting area (in green) at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska provided during a pre-proposal conference in October 2022. (Graphic: Department of the Air Force)

Plans announced with fanfare sometimes falter in the face of competition or economics. Take NuScale Power’s plans for the Carbon Free Power Project in Idaho: The project was canceled in mid-November by NuScale and its first customer, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, after nearly a decade. The significance of that news depends on the observer. NuScale intends to focus on other sites and customers. Competitors may redouble efforts to tout their own designs and customer lists. Media found an opportunity to speculate about the future of advanced nuclear. And while many in the nuclear community believe the momentum in favor of new nuclear deployments is continuing—or even increasing as COP28 continues—others would caution against high hopes and point to the persistent obstacles of regulation, supply chain constraints, and financing costs.

To continue reading, log in or create a free account!

Related Articles

Matt Wald on nuclear power

October 24, 2025, 9:31AMANS Nuclear Cafe

Matt Wald, an independent energy analyst and a writer who contributes to the Breakthrough Institute and has written feature articles for Nuclear News, recently shared his nuclear perspectives...

Industry Update—October 2025

October 17, 2025, 9:30AMNuclear News

Here is a recap of recent industry happenings:ADVANCED REACTOR MARKETPLACE New international partnership to speed Xe-100 SMR deploymentX-energy, Amazon, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, and...

The journey of the U.S. fuel cycle

October 14, 2025, 7:01AMNuclear News

While most big journeys begin with a clear objective, they rarely start with an exact knowledge of the route. When commissioning the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1803, President Thomas...

Oklo partners with Sweden’s Blykalla

September 30, 2025, 3:01PMNuclear News

After making waves last week at Idaho National Laboratory by breaking ground on its first Aurora Powerhouse reactor, Oklo has again made headlines this week by partnering with Stockholm,...

Oklo breaks ground at INL on Aurora reactor

September 29, 2025, 6:25AMNuclear News

Following the same milestones from Aalo Atomics and Valar Atomics, Santa Clara, Calif.–based reactor start-up Oklo has become the third company participating in the Department of Energy’s...