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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy
The mission of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy Division (NNPD) is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology while simultaneously preventing the diversion and misuse of nuclear material and technology through appropriate safeguards and security, and promotion of nuclear nonproliferation policies. To achieve this mission, the objectives of the NNPD are to: Promote policy that discourages the proliferation of nuclear technology and material to inappropriate entities. Provide information to ANS members, the technical community at large, opinion leaders, and decision makers to improve their understanding of nuclear nonproliferation issues. Become a recognized technical resource on nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards, and security issues. Serve as the integration and coordination body for nuclear nonproliferation activities for the ANS. Work cooperatively with other ANS divisions to achieve these objective nonproliferation policies.
Meeting Spotlight
2025 ANS Annual Conference
June 15–18, 2025
Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott Downtown
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Latest News
Smarter waste strategies: Helping deliver on the promise of advanced nuclear
At COP28, held in Dubai in 2023, a clear consensus emerged: Nuclear energy must be a cornerstone of the global clean energy transition. With electricity demand projected to soar as we decarbonize not just power but also industry, transport, and heat, the case for new nuclear is compelling. More than 20 countries committed to tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050. In the United States alone, the Department of Energy forecasts that the country’s current nuclear capacity could more than triple, adding 200 GW of new nuclear to the existing 95 GW by mid-century.
Roger Lew (Univ of Idaho), Ronald L. Boring, Thomas A. Ulrich (INL)
Proceedings | Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Control, and Human-Machine Interface Technolgies (NPIC&HMIT 2019) | Orlando, FL, February 9-14, 2019 | Pages 932-940
Research on computer-based procedure (CBP) systems has found operational advantages over paper-based procedures (PBPs) including reduced memory workload, increased automation, and fewer operator errors. A Nuclear Regulatory Commision (NRC) study (1995) found that procedure related issues have been implicated in 69% of reported events for nuclear power plants (NPPs). Despite the associated risk with existing PBPs, utilities are hesitant to be first adopters and research is needed to validate systems in the context of modernized but largely analog Generation II main control rooms. Existing implementations of CBP systems have started from the ground up and where able to have tailored operations to support CBP systems. For existing plants this is a time-consuming, expensive, and potentially risky proposition, which represents a substantial shift current operational practices. For example, plants have existing protocols for authoring and maintaining procedures that serve as administrative controls over processes. Therefore, procedures serve organizational and administrative purposes unrelated to the actual operator control of the plant. A replacement computerized system must be able to replace existing functionality and dovetail with these organizational processes. This document describes the functional characteristics and technical specification for a Computerized Procedure Engine (CPE) designed to meet the needs of modernized United States (US) NPPs. The CPE is designed with flexibility in mind to satisfy a variety of functional and research objectives.