ECA FORUM: MOVING NEW NUCLEAR PROJECTS FORWARD BRINGS TOGETHER COMMUNITIES INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT IN IDAHO FALLS

To kick off the first full day of the ECA Forum: Moving New Nuclear Projects Forward, Congressman Mike Simpson, who represents Idaho Falls, Butte County, and much of the area around Eastern Idaho (ID-2), provided a kickoff keynote address. Simpson serves as Chair on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, and as a member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies. 

Simpson expressed his appreciation over the amount excitement around the future that nuclear energy can provide, and thanked industry and communities for gathering at the Forum. He stated: “Whether or not you want to be a part of the nuclear future – you are a part of the nuclear future.”

Simpson detailed how growing demands on the future American energy supply will swell to enormous amounts. He made it clear that nuclear energy will be key to economic growth for the nation and growth for communities, in part because of their ability to provide baseload energy for datacenters and meet that growing demand. He highlighted how the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Project (ADRP), based in Idaho National Laboratory (INL), fulfills a critical role in assisting the deployment of advanced reactors and micro reactors, and thereby the future of nuclear energy. 

Regarding appropriations, Simpson voiced his confidence in the House’s ability to pass the Energy and Water, Defense, and Interior Appropriations bills, and professed that he believes that the appropriations process needs to get back to working as intended, and on the intended schedule. Simpson also addressed how communities can begin to get involved with nuclear. He suggested that engaging with ECA and other organizations is great way to learn about opportunities, as is engaging with a community’s congressional delegation, who are typically supportive and want to empower their constituents. 

Simpson finished his remarks by emphasizing that the proportion of power generated by nuclear will only go up over time. However, this is an opportunity for America to take a leading role in advancing the global renaissance of nuclear energy, and an opportunity for America to lead in advanced nuclear technology across the world. 

Dr. Micheal Goff, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) spoke after Simpson, providing details on what DOE leadership is doing to promote and secure the future of nuclear energy. He began his remarks by thanking Congressman Simpson for leading the congressional fight to promote nuclear technology, and he thanked ECA for organizing the Forum at a critical juncture for nuclear development. He stated: “Two weeks ago, Gallup released a poll showcasing that support for nuclear energy as an electricity source has risen 6%. These findings reflect what a truly exciting time it is for nuclear energy – that this is a tipping point for what lies ahead.”

Just as communities are open for business, Dr. Goff proclaimed the DOE-NE is open for business. Dr. Goff detailed current programs DOE is administering or supporting to bolster new nuclear development, such as a $900 million solicitation to support the deployment of SMRs that DOE published on March 24 of this year. He also commented on DOE’s efforts to establish a secure domestic supply of high assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), through a first round of conditional commitments to allocate HALEU to five U.S. nuclear developers to meet their near-term fuel needs.

He also noted the role Idaho National Laboratory’s National Reactor Innovation Center plays through its Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) Program. The DOME program supports microreactor development, lessening the environmental footprint and saving costs to developers by reducing risk. Dr. Goff specifically thanked the communities neighboring INL for supporting the retooling of Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBRII) into the DOME program. With testing at the DOME testbed possible as early as 2026, Westinghouse is looking to test its eVinvi microreactor at the site, and Radiant plans to test its Kaleidos Battery design. 

Dr. Goff also addressed the historic restarts of nuclear power plants across the country, most notably the Palisades Plant in Michigan by HOLTEC, which DOE provided a second loan disbursement to in the amount of $57 million. Palisades will be the first of many restarts and could look to create 600 American jobs and generate 800 MWe for the grid. 

Kristen Ellis, EM-4, provided an update from DOE-Environmental Management (DOE-EM). Ellis highlighted that there is substantial local, national, and global interest in advancing the resurgence of nuclear energy and noted that the pace of that advancement is built upon our partnerships. 

Ellis commented on how beneficial reuse, the process of DOE transferring site land back to a community, is an opportunity for economic growth in a community. To build on this, EM is considering other ways it can create opportunities for communities. Most recently, DOE released an RFI for Artificial Infrastructure on DOE Land. Datacenters will require specialized IT equipment, cooling facilities, generation for power, and other unique needs that EM sites and host communities are uniquely equipped to support, and the RFI lists 16 sites that are best suited for the opportunity. However, Ellis clarified that for any RFI DOE releases, if a specific community is not included, it does not make them ineligible to respond, and Ellis encouraged communities and local governments to respond to the RFI in creative ways. The RFI opened on April 7 and will close on May 7, after which the next step for DOE will be to put out a competitive public solicitation. 

Ellis closed her remarks by encouraging attendees to stay educated; and to consider how to engage with DOE as it focuses on energy addition, and how nuclear will be key to energy addition. She stated “The new administration is putting a lot of energy behind doing new things in new ways. We all are buoyed by the progress that of each of us makes; that moves us forward into the nuclear renaissance.”

Afterwards, Chuck Hope, City Councilor for Oak Ridge, TN and ECA Secretary, facilitated a panel to provide updates on developments in Paducah, KY; Tri-Cities, WA; Oak Ridge, TN; Kemmerer, WY; and other communities featured at previous ECA Forums. Panelists outlined the progress made in each of their communities, projects underway and insight into any legislation, advisory board actions or economic development initiatives that helped provide momentum to their projects and get them off the ground. The following speakers represented their communities and shared valuable insight with attendees:

Next, a panel of made up of local economic developers provided their perspective, and what they are doing to help make their communities “Open for Business”. Robbie Bennett, President and CEO of the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO) facilitated a discussion of local, state, Tribal and regional economic development leaders on how they identify the resources they have, how they evaluate the projects they want, and the policies needed to create the “right” business environment. The following speakers shared their insights: 

The Forum also featured multiple sessions for nuclear innovation, investors, and developers to showcase their technology to host communities and start new conversations with local leaders. Presenters detailed project goals and opportunities, current project outlook and deployment timeline, siting criteria for potential host communities, states, Tribes, and regions, and what benefits they believe they can bring to local governments. Presenters included:

On the second and last day of the ECA Forum, David Wright, Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, provided a morning address to share with attendees how the NRC is considering planning, licensing, and risk reduction for new nuclear. He began his address by bulleting the three main priorities for the NRC going forward:

  1. Identify and fill technical gaps, and consider how to support and provide for applicant needs

  2. Stay committed to the NRC process and ensure public and environmental safety

  3. Align with the ADVANCE Act – consider what needs to be changed within NRC to align with energy priorities and to facilitate, rather than be a roadblock to nuclear development and the nuclear industry

Chairman Wright commented that to achieve these priorities, the NRC will have to create guidance and rules to facilitate nuclear in the commercial space. He noted that the NRC has already found ways to tighten the security review while retaining its high integrity. He stated: “The NRC must advance, enable, the secure the use and deployment of nuclear in a safe way – that’s we should be doing, and that’s what we were initially charged with.” 

Chairman Wright emphasized that cooperation and coordination among government agencies and between government and industry will be key to ushering in new reactors. He wants to talk with DOE and the Department of Defense (DOD) about a joint cooperation agreement, and he commented on how funding from DOE-NE, hyperscalers, and other private investors will be necessary to support NRC applicants through the review process. 

To best support current applicants, and the cascade of applicants that will be coming in the following years, Chairman Wright stated that the NRC will have to double its number of reviewers every year to keep up. He also emphasized that the NRC, and the nuclear industry at large, will need people from all backgrounds working in the nuclear space – not just engineers. 

Chairman Wright also spoke on how the NRC’s mission is not only to support national markets, but also international markets. The world wants to build American reactors - but they need to be licensed by the NRC first. The NRC needs to standardize the review process and license designs to enable deployment in these markets. Chairman Wright closed his remarks by emphasizing that the NRC does not promote, nor does it consult; its job is to be ready to review. 

Following on this international focus, Faith Sanchez, ECA Director of Policy, moderated a session that looked at how SMRs and new nuclear planning is being addressed outside of the United States. Policymakers and nuclear energy community leaders discussed their regulatory and public engagement efforts to build support and strategies to overcome the challenges of developing gigawatts of new nuclear generation: 

To clos out the Forum Kara Colton facilitated panel on how to connect the front-end of the fuel cycle to the back end. Nuclear waste management, via consolidated storage or repository siting, is a foundational step in new nuclear development - even for a future recycling program. Panelists discussed what waste streams may be produced by new nuclear technologies, what options and technologies are available to safely manage waste, and the opportunities that hosting new nuclear waste facilities may present for a community. Speakers came from a variety of backgrounds:

  • Dorothy Davidson, President and CEO, Orano Federal Services

  • Stefan Mayer, Team Lead Radioactive Waste Disposal, IAEA 

  • Katrina McMurrian, Executive Director, Nuclear Waste Strategy Coalition 

  • Everett Redmond, Senior Director of Federal Affairs, Oklo

ECA is proud to bring another New Nuclear Forum to an end. We look forward to what developments, initiatives and growth will come from the many discussions held at this year’s forum, and we are excited to see what developments the next year in nuclear will bring. ECA would also like to extend a very special thanks to all of our sponsors and supporters for supporting the ECA Forum and contributing to this premiere event! 

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