SUMMARY
In April, the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA), in conjunction with the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO), hosted the fifth annual ECA Forum: The Business of Nuclear - Communities and Industry Working Together. The event brought together DOE, federal, state, local, Tribal governments, and policymakers with private sector developers, utilities, industry, regulators, and academia. The agenda reflected the rapid pace of change in the nuclear sector. Over 300 attendees came to the Savannah River area to explore the opportunities, challenges, and partnerships currently underway to support new nuclear development in the United States and beyond.
The first full day of the ECA forum kicked off with introductory remarks from ECA Executive Director Seth Kirshenberg and ECA Board Chair Chuck Hope who emphasized that energy communities are ready and they are open for business. Following those remarks, attendees heard from a lineup of federal officials leading new nuclear across the government, including:
DOE-EM Assistant Secretary Tim Walsh
DOE-NE Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Marla Morales
NNSA Associate Principal Deputy Administrator James McConnell
DOE Associate Principal Deputy Under Secretary Kristen Ellis
They discussed a range of topics from the expansion of new nuclear energy projects, the development and evolution of computing and AI, and initiatives addressing the back end of the fuel cycle and storage. The second and final day of the ECA forum has come to a close with a variety of exciting panel discussions. Throughout the second day, panels discussed topics such as a regional focus on nuclear projects in the southeast, how to create the right business environment for nuclear facilities, licensing, supply chain development, high-level waste and used fuel, financing nuclear projects, addressing workforce needs, and more.
Major Takeaways Include:
Communities need to understand what resources they bring to the table: transmission, demand for electrons, land, water, and interconnection.
Five factors to consider when determining how well a project is planned: fuel, financing, supply chain, workforce, and size.
Community initiatives build momentum for deployment in ways that reflect unique relationships in each location.
The nuclear industry needs to work together to produce a secure and uniform supply chain that allows for order books to be filled reliably and predictably.
Successful project developers will identify who the community leaders are, and will cooperate with them to address local needs and provide project updates.
Progress moves at the pace of trust.
ECA was founded to give communities a voice in national energy decisions. The ECA Forum remains proof of that promise in action and all that it can accomplish. Planning for the 2027 Forum is already underway, and ECA looks forward to the progress reports anticipated when stakeholders convene again in Oak Ridge, TN.
AGENDA & PROGRAM
Full Program Agenda
Understanding Nuclear Opportunities: What to Know
Speaker Bios | Presentations | Recording
Roundtable Discussions — Ask the Experts
Speaker Bios|Recording
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Speaker Bios|Presentation|Recording
Nuclear Initiatives Across the Federal Government
Speaker Bios| Recording
Setting the Stage for Nuclear
Speaker Bios |Recording
Community Initiatives Building Momentum for Deployment
Speaker Bios | Recording
Finding Partners & Building Community Support
Speaker Bios | Recording
Working Lunch: Leveraging International Successes to Sustain American Nuclear Leadership — Presented by Amentum — Presented by AtkinsRéalis
Speaker Bios
Picking the Right Project — Timelines, Technology, and Policy
Speaker Bios | Recording
The Forces and Users Driving Nuclear
Speaker Bios | Recording
Snapshot: Regulation — Understanding the Architecture of Accountability
Speaker Bios | Recording
Commercializing Nuclear: Next-to-Market Technologies
Speaker Bios | Recording
Innovators Open House & Reception
Nuclear Passport | Recording
Regional Focus: Nuclear Opportunities in the Southeast
Speaker Bios | Recording
Creating the Right Business Environment for Nuclear Facilities
Speaker Bios | Recording
Snapshot: How Licensing Works — And Where Your Community Fits In
Speaker Bios| Recording
Developing the Nuclear Supply Chain — Needs and Opportunities
Speaker Bios| Recording
Managing High-Level Waste and Used Nuclear Fuel to Drive Nuclear Deployment
Speaker Bios| Recording
Working Lunch: How Are Nuclear Projects Financed? - Presented by Southern Nuclear & Georgia Power
Speaker Bios
Building National, State, and Local Workforce
Speaker Bios
Wrap Up & Closing Remarks
Recording
ECA New Nuclear Forum: The Business of Nuclear - Communties and Industry Working Together
