Yasir Arafat, president and chief technology officer of Aalo Atomics, participated in the first day of sessions at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s annual Regulatory Information Conference (RIC). There, he recapped some of the company’s recent milestones and revealed new details on what lies ahead for Aalo.

His attendance at the event coincided with a number of announcements in the past two weeks. Those announcements covered new contracts with Global Nuclear Fuel and Baker Hughes, the release of a new strategic roadmap, the completion of fuel enrichment by Urenco USA, and a new approval from the Department of Energy.

In 1990, 30 percent of Europe’s electricity came from nuclear power plants. In 2026, it is closer to 15 percent.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen lamented the decline of nuclear energy, calling it a “strategic mistake” when Europe turned its back on a “reliable, affordable source of low-emissions power.”

The Department of Energy is bringing the HB Line facility at the Savannah River Site back on line to recycle surplus plutonium and produce uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel for advanced reactors.

Restarting the facility will be a multiyear process and will yield opportunities for increased domestic production of isotopes with scientific and commercial value. The DOE said that once operational, the HB Line will accelerate the Office of Environmental Management’s plutonium disposition mission by 10 to 13 years while reducing the existing cost.

The American Bureau of Shipping has joined a joint development project with the HD Hyundai divisions of Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and HD Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HD HSHI) to advance the conceptual design and assess the technical feasibility of a nuclear-powered electric propulsion system for large container ships.

The project, “Conceptual Design of a Nuclear-Powered Electric Propulsion System,” will focus on developing the basic design, electrical component specifications, and arrangement plans of a nuclear propulsion system for a 16,000-TEU ship (that is, a massive vessel designed to carry 16,000 20-foot-equivalent units). It would be the first nuclear-powered commercial container vessel.

Where do Japan and its nuclear energy ambitions stand 15 years after the devastating magnitude 9.0 earthquake of March 11, 2011, a destructive tsunami, and an accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant ground them to a halt?

A look at developments within the last year involving Japan’s political leadership, international relations, its fleet of nuclear plants, and the ongoing cleanup and decommissioning at Fukushima shows an island country pushing nuclear to the forefront of its energy plans.

Even a last-minute cancelation from Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright could not derail the optimism permeating day 1 of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s annual Regulatory Information Conference (RIC).

The optimistic theme came up several times during the morning plenary sessions that highlighted Tuesday’s agenda. The NRC commissioners who spoke said the optimism was a result of the “nuclear renaissance” they are encountering that feels different from past nuclear-related revivals that didn’t materialize.

Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright joined U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler (R., N.Y.) at the site of the closed Indian Point nuclear power plant on Friday, March 6, as Lawler called for the reopening of the facility. He emphasized that the shutdown of the plant in 2021 has led to higher electricity costs for the people of New York state and increased strain on the state’s electric grid.

A newly announced potential joint venture between reactor and fuel-recycling developer Oklo and uranium enricher Centrus Energy could be coming to Ohio. The two companies have agreed to pursue discussions on jointly establishing deconversion services for high-assay low-enriched uranium and other fuel-cycle technologies at Centrus’s uranium enrichment plant in Piketon, Ohio, which is adjacent to Oklo's proposed 1.2-GW power campus. That campus, which has been targeted to be on line by 2030, will use Oklo’s Aurora Powerhouse microreactor to support data centers for Meta.

The Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority (KNEDA) recently distributed its first awards through the new Nuclear Energy Development Grant Program, which was established last year. In total, KNEDA disbursed $10 million to a variety of companies that will use the funding to support siting studies, enrichment supply-chain planning, workforce training, and curriculum development.

Anna Bradford has been named the new head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. NRC Chair Ho Nieh called Bradford “a superb candidate to lead the team that oversees the safety of our nuclear reactor operating fleet. We are eager to have someone of her experience both here and abroad back at the NRC.” Her appointment will become effective in May.

The Department of Energy is set to expand on its Reactor Pilot Program and Fuel Line Pilot Program by introducing the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad, a DOE-led program to integrate the authorization, testing, and operation of reactors and fuel facilities from private nuclear developers. Furthermore, it will include two pathways—Launch Pad INL and Launch Pad USA—with options to access Idaho National Laboratory land or other sites around the nation.

The DOE plans to transition future pilot program applicants to the new Launch Pad model. Application requirements and review criteria will mirror those used in the reactor and fuel line pilot programs, and projects already in those programs will transition to Launch Pad with no need to reapply.

While changes the Department of Energy made to its standard contract for accepting spent nuclear fuel may help reduce federal liabilities, they provide “little to no assurance” that the government will ever follow through on its promise to take possession of the fuel, according to commentary from Matt Bowen and Rama T. Ponangi of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA.

On March 3, the Department of Energy announced the release of $52.8 million in funds through the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) and the Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) program, ending a wait for applicants seeking fiscal year 2025 funds.

NEUP supports U.S. colleges and universities with funding for nuclear technology development, early-career faculty research activities, undergraduate scholarships, and graduate fellowships.

Prompted by the ADVANCE Act and Executive Order (EO) 14300, “Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” the NRC has recently made a number of changes aimed at increasing licensing efficiency.

Today, the agency is implementing another change to the same effect, rolling out a revision of its Differing Views Program (DVP). This revision aims to significantly reduce the time each differing view requires without compromising the NRC’s commitment to safety.

The governments of Canada and India agreed to multiple long-term deals this month, extending a partnership that will impact sectors including energy and critical minerals, technology and AI, talent and culture, and defense.

One of the more significant deals is a long-term agreement that would supply nearly 22 million pounds of Canadian uranium concentrate (U₃O₈) to India’s burgeoning nuclear reactor fleet over the next decade.

Over the past two weeks, Argonne National Laboratory has announced numerous significant advancements being made by its staff to push forward nuclear fuels and materials research. Those announcements include the opening of the new Activated Materials Lab, the development of a new measurement technique, and the application of new artificial intelligence tools.

The Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management faces significant cost increases, schedule delays, and data management issues in completing nuclear waste cleanup projects, according to a new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

The U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee has recommended Douglas Weaver be reappointed to a full five-year term on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission after his current term expires on June 30.

The committee voted 15-4 in support of Weaver’s nomination on Wednesday, clearing the way for a final vote on the Senate floor. If the Senate votes to confirm Weaver, he would serve on the NRC through June 30, 2031.

Today, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced that it has approved TerraPower’s construction permit application for Kemmerer Unit 1, the company’s first deployment of Natrium, its flagship sodium fast reactor.

This approval is a significant milestone on three fronts. For TerraPower, it represents another step forward in demonstrating its technology. For the Department of Energy, it reflects progress (despite delays) for the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP). For the NRC, it is the first approval granted to a commercial reactor in nearly a decade—and the first approval of a commercial non–light water reactor in more than 40 years.

Concept art of Pacific Fusion’s demonstration system. (Image: Pacific Fusion)

Pacific Fusion is preparing to start construction on a pulsed-power inertial fusion facility in New Mexico, and today the company announced it is seeking expressions of interest from researchers in industry, academia, and government who may want to run experiments at the facility.