The core of Pile No. 1 at Windscale caught fire in the fall of 1957. The incident, rated a level 5, “Accident with Wider Consequences,” by the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES), has since inspired nuclear safety culture, risk assessment, accident modeling, and emergency preparedness. Windscale also helped show how important communication and transparency are to gaining trust and public support.

Utah-based Creekstone Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with EnergySolutions to study the feasibility of building at least 2 gigawatts of advanced nuclear capacity to power a 25-acre data center Creekstone is planning in Delta, Utah.

The second annual South Carolina Nuclear Summit held last week featured utility executives and legislators from the state, as well as leaders from Brookfield Asset Management, which is being considered to restart construction on the two abandoned reactors at the V.C. Summer nuclear power plant in Fairfield County. The summit, at the University of South Carolina’s Colonial Life Arena, attracted more than 350 attendees. The event was hosted by the university’s Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing.

GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s BWRX-300 small modular reactor has completed the second step of the generic design assessment (GDA) process in the United Kingdom. In this step, the U.K. Office for Nuclear Regulation, the Environment Agency, and Natural Resources Wales did not identify “any fundamental safety, security safeguard or environmental protection shortfalls with the design of the BWRX-300.” Step 1 was completed in December 2024.

Pacific Gas & Electric has announced that the California Coastal Commission, the state agency in charge of protecting California’s roughly 840 miles of coastline, unanimously voted to approve the Act Consistency Certification and Coastal Development Permit for Diablo Canyon, a critical step in the utility’s work to extend the life of the nuclear power plant.

Blye Widmar

"Where are the prints?!"

This was the final question in an onslaught of verbal feedback, comments, and critiques I received from my students back in 2019. I had two years of instructor experience and was teaching a class that had been meticulously rehearsed in preparation for an accreditation visit. I knew the training material well and transferred that knowledge effectively enough for all the students to pass the class. As we wrapped up, I asked the students how they felt about my first big system-level class, and they did not hold back.

“Why was the exam from memory when we don’t work from memory in the plant?” “Why didn’t we refer to the vendor documents?” “Why didn’t we practice more on the mock-up?” And so on.

The operating licenses for the three boiling water reactors at Browns Ferry nuclear power plant, in Athens, Ala., have each been renewed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an additional 20 years. The reactors, operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, are now licensed to operate until December 2053 for Unit 1, June 2054 for Unit 2, and July 2056 for Unit 3.

When Constellation decided to install replacement Alstom low-pressure turbines at three of its boiling water reactor plants more than 15 years ago, one benefit was knowing the new turbines should operate reliably—and without major inspections—for several years.

Reactor-agnostic TRISO fuel producer Standard Nuclear recently announced that it has executed an other transaction agreement (OTA) with the Department of Energy. As one of the five companies involved in the DOE’s Fuel Line Pilot Program, its entrance into this deal marks a milestone in the public-private effort to bring advanced fuel production on line in support of the DOE’s concurrently running Reactor Pilot Program.

Five companies are the recipients of Department of Energy awards to support the development, modification, and licensing of transportation packages for high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel. HALEU, which is enriched between 5 percent and 20 percent, is the type of fuel required for the operation of many of the small advanced nuclear reactors that are being designed and developed by U.S. companies.