Greetings!

In this week’s issue, we examine indicators that an overly exuberant nuclear energy bubble is beginning to leak and why tying nuclear energy expansion primarily to AI data centers is a cause of this decline. We spotlight the Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition’s letter to Congress supporting the U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Cooperation Agreement. Finally, we highlight key nuclear technology, security, and geopolitical developments, reports, and analyses.

This issue of Nuclear News and Views was produced by PGS Program Director, Patrick Kendall, and our Della Ratta Energy and Global Security Fellow, Paul Tervo.

A longer version of this article was published by The Center for the National Interest and it can be found here.

The decision by Holtec International to delay its Initial Public Offering (IPO) is the canary in the coal mine of a leaking nuclear power bubble that is likely headed for a pop. The company cited multiple economic and energy headwinds that caused it to change course, including rising interest rates and uncertainty about the future direction of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

That’s bad news for emerging reactor companies and it reflects market uncertainty about the future role of nuclear energy if current AI models change course from a centralized U.S. approach that requires large data centers. Data centers are projected to drive significant electricity growth in the U.S. But they now face a persistent political backlash. Without a data center explosion, U.S. electricity demand will remain relatively flat, and new nuclear energy begins to look less attractive compared to other alternatives.

Reframing the Value Proposition

This uncertainty argues for reframing the nuclear energy value proposition away from an over dependence on data center power. In many ways, the Trump administration is well situated to lead this redirection. It has designated nuclear energy a national security technology, seeks energy domination, and understands the acute nuclear technology and market competition posed by China and Russia. But it seems less uninterested in building the foundation necessary for nuclear success than relentlessly promoting mostly marginal nuclear energy advancements that will not result in American nuclear superiority.

Korea Deal Questions

A good example of the administration’s fixation on hype is the high-profile announcement that South Korea will provide $120 billion for the construction of eight nuclear power plants in the U.S. Six will be Westinghouse AP-1000’s and two Korean APR-1400s.

This Korea deal is in the ballpark of meeting the Trump goal of building 10 new AP-1000s in the U.S., but it is very unlikely that any of these will be under construction by 2030 as the May 2025 executive order contemplates. There are just too many unanswered questions about the U.S.-Korea deal and how it will be implemented, including reactor sites that are not public, uncertain deal terms for the proposed reactors, and political problems created by choosing Korean reactors over American ones. There also is no commitment by US utilities to participate in this deal, raising questions about how the energy created by these reactors will be used.

Small Reactor Headwinds

While the Korea deal raises questions about whether an established technology like the AP-1000 can be built at scale in the U.S., these concerns are magnified when considering the case for smaller reactors.

As public and investor support for data centers plummets, the prospect of start-up nuclear companies emerging as AI powerhouses is receding. This year, fledgling small modular reactor (SMR) companies that have gone public have been punished by the market. The stock prices for Oklo and NuScale Power are down over 50% for the year, X-Energy is approaching a 60% decline, and NANO Nuclear Energy is down by about 40%. Fuel-related companies have not fared much better.

There are signs of trouble beyond the decline in data center enthusiasm including the transition from the hopeful nuclear Spring that let a thousand paper reactors bloom to a winter of the survival of the fittest, as evidenced by a nasty social media spat between two reactor start-up companies, each of which has generated glowing headlines but not much energy.

Political Transition

A change in control of one or both houses of congress could flip energy priorities. For the past decade, supporting the resurgence of American nuclear power has been a bipartisan priority. However, the sheer volume of Trump executive orders on nuclear energy, the aggressive stance of the administration and some reactor companies toward the NRC and its authority to regulate SMRs, and a $40 trillion national debt in a rising interest rate environment, may begin to erode this cross-aisle camaraderie.

It also is likely that with subpoena power, a Democratic majority will lead invasive investigations into how federal dollars for nuclear start-ups were spent and what they created or didn’t. Then there’s a wildcard question of whether the White House, seeking to boost reactor fortunes, will reverse course on the nuclear fuel ban from Russia, as it did with diesel fuel. That likely will generate bipartisan political opposition.

Concrete Opportunities

While the nuclear power bubble seems to be commencing a correction and deflating excessive expectations, it is important to remember that there are concrete opportunities for targeted U.S. nuclear energy expansion.

Westinghouse is creating an overseas order book for the AP-1000, with a commitment from Poland for three units, other Central and Eastern European countries signing Memoranda of Agreement, and the pending agreement with Saudi Arabia potentially expanding the order book by two additional reactors.

The power uprating of operating U.S. reactors is accelerating which could add six to eight gigawatts (GW) to the grid in coming years. And the VC Summer reactor project in South Carolina is inching toward a restart of construction on two AP-1000s which would add over two GW of power.

For small reactors, the GE Vernova Hitachi (GVH) BWRX-300 is emerging as the SMR of choice in OECD nations and the U.S. Department of Defense continues to steam ahead with new microreactors that could create a durable pathway for additional small reactor testing and deployment.

Ken Luongo, President, Partnership for Global Security

Spotlight

The Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition (NENSC) has sent a letter to Congress urging members to support the Nuclear Cooperation Agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia. The letter’s signatories are a group of former high-level American officials with responsibility for national and international nuclear security that span Democratic and Republican administrations. The letter argues that U.S. nuclear cooperation agreements offer the highest standards for nuclear nonproliferation and security of any nation that exports nuclear technology and that, if this agreement is rejected, Saudi Arabia could turn to any of them, including China and Russia, for their reactors.

The signatories argue that engagement with the U.S. on civil nuclear technology “has proven to be the best barrier to nuclear proliferation in every nation with which the U.S. has concluded a bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement.” It assesses that concerns over the lack of a “gold standard” prohibiting uranium enrichment in the agreement are well-intentioned but counterproductive, as the application of the standard is exceedingly rare in American bilateral nuclear agreements, and insisting on it in this case, will drive potential partners into the arms of competitor nations. That would harm international nuclear security by undermining the high proliferation standards that are insisted upon by the U.S.

The letter states that while the agreement does not require the Additional Protocol to supplement IAEA safeguards, the IAEA will be the international authority that executes safeguards under the agreement. The bilateral U.S.-Saudi safeguards provision supplementing the IAEA safeguards has been described by the Director General of the IAEA as “very, very similar to…the Additional Protocol.” He further noted that he would not support an agreement that “would not guarantee non-proliferation.” The signatories do recommend that the administration continue to encourage Saudi Arabia to adopt the Additional Protocol and allow short-notice IAEA inspections.

Patrick Kendall, Program Director, Partnership for Global Security

Issues of Special Interest

Global AI and Data Center Energy

Google is nearing an agreement to buy nuclear energy from Constellation Energy. The deal would have Google pay $1 billion or more to Constellation over multiple years. The exact amount of nuclear capacity, as well as the reactor location, has not yet been disclosed. Similar agreements have had hyperscalers paying utilities for reactor power uprates. A recent deal between Amazon and Constellation was for 690 megawatts from Constellation’s Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant, including upgraded output.

The Impact of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine on International Nuclear Affairs

Russia has launched numerous strikes against 26 Ukrainian energy facilities in a new campaign that is meant to cripple Ukraine’s electrical grid ahead of the upcoming winter. In addition to the strikes on power plants, substations, and gas infrastructure, there has reportedly been an uptick in Russian drones and missiles flying near Ukraine’s nuclear plants. Ukraine currently operates three nuclear power plants which will likely be the country’s lifeline once other power plants are taken offline in response to the escalating Russian offensive.

Russia

Russia has installed two separator-superheaters in their design positions for the lead-cooled BREST-OD-300 fast neutron reactor. Rosatom previously began the concrete pouring for the foundation of the turbine and generator, and the agency added that the construction of the turbine unit foundation will be completed by the end of the year. The BREST-OD-300 fast reactor will be the main facility of the Pilot Demonstration Energy Complex and is part of Russians’ Proryv project that aims to enable a closed nuclear fuel cycle.

China

China National Nuclear Corporation has connected Tianwan unit 7 to the grid and delivered its first electricity. The reactor is presently operating at minimum power and will ramp up its output over time. The Tianwan power plant is a joint venture between Russia and China, with Rosatom building the units and a consortium of Chinese companies owning and operating them.

Hot testing has begun on China’s ACP100 SMR demonstration project at the Chiangjiang plant in Hainan province. These tests simulate operating conditions within the reactor and prepare it for fuel loading, which China National Nuclear Corporation is aiming to complete within the year. Construction of the 125 MW reactor began in July 2021.

China National Nuclear Corporation has completed pouring concrete for the inner dome of the new Hualong One reactor at the Zhangzhou plant in Fujian province. At the same time, China General Nuclear has completed the first stage of concrete pouring for the first reactor of the planned Zhaoyuan plant, which will eventually house six Hualong Ones. The State Council approved construction of the reactors in 2022 and 2024, respectively.

Europe

Poland’s Council of Ministers has pushed back the timeline for the country’s first nuclear power plants to come online. The first AP1000 at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site is now scheduled for commissioning in 2036 rather than the original 2033 date. Poland’s Ministry of Energy asserted that the update to the timeline, the first since the plan’s announcement in 2021, reflects changes to the European energy market in recent years. The Ministry of Energy also signed an agreement to build a second nuclear power plant, with Bełchatów and Konin listed as the preferred locations.

Westinghouse has conditionally ordered the first safety-related components for the Lubiatowo-Kopalino plant. The modules will be procured from four different Polish companies: Energomontaż-Północ Gdynia SA, FAMAK SA, Mostostal Kielce SA and Mostostal Krakow SA. Westinghouse added that the scope of the order covers six key components of the nuclear island, including the reactor containment vessel and associated structural materials.

Poland’s Synthos Green Energy (SGE) and ZE PAK have agreed to establish a joint venture to develop a nuclear power plant in Patnow that will feature up to six BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMR). The planned SGE-ZE PAK project will repurpose an existing coal plant that is owned by ZE PAK, with an option for ZE PAK to remain in the project as minority shareholder or sell its shares in subsequent years. The first BWRX-300 SMR in the world is currently under construction in Canada, and the United States has also issued a construction permit for one at the Clinch River site in Tennessee.

Poland’s Ministry of Energy, Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ), and Polska Grupa Energetyczna (PGE) signed an agreement defining the division of tasks and principles of cooperation in preparing the construction of the country’s second nuclear power plant. PEJ is to be the investor and coordinator of the second nuclear power plant project while PGE will prepare site analyses and preliminary feasibility studies in collaboration with potential technology suppliers. Poland has chosen Bełchatów and Konin as the preferred locations for its second nuclear plant.

A group of Polish businesspeople have invested $128 million in Synthos Green Energy’s (SGE) plans to build fleets of small modular reactors (SMR) in Poland, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere in Europe. SGE founder Michał Sołowow stated that this signals the Polish business sector’s desire to build the country’s energy infrastructure for years to come. SGE recently signed an agreement with GE Vernova, Hitachi, and Samsung C&T to cooperate on the deployment of GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300 SMRs in Europe.

Members of the United Kingdom’s Green Party removed calls for a nuclear phase out from the party’s policies and instead included nuclear power as a form of carbon-free energy. This vote formally changes the party’s policies, although it does not necessarily mean that the party will support nuclear power in its manifesto at the next general election. The Green Party had previously been the only significant party to oppose nuclear power at the national level, although other parties such as the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru continue to oppose nuclear development regionally.

The United Kingdom Office of Nuclear Regulation has formally transferred ownership of the shut down Hinkley Point B plant from EDF Energy to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and its subsidiaries are also decommissioning other nuclear power plants across the United Kingdom, including the Hinkley Point A and Hunterston B plants. Hinkley Point B, as an advanced gas-cooled reactor, was the first of its kind, having come online in 1976.

Framatome and EDF have extended their contract to maintain the Sizewell B nuclear plant in the United Kingdom. The extended partnership will keep the plant operating until 2040, with Framatome performing maintenance and management duties through the plant’s long-term operations. Framatome began providing such maintenance in 2008.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) delivered three replacement steam generators to Électricité de France (EDF) for unit 2 of the Cruas Nuclear Power Plant. EDF ordered the replacement components from MHI in 2019, and the steam generators were manufactured at MHI’s Kobe facility in 2024. MHI has received orders for a total of nine replacement steam generators from EDF, and the remaining six units are being manufactured in Kobe with delivery scheduled from 2028 onwards.

The French army published a report exploring deployment of microreactors for military base power and operations. The report focused on research and capability planning rather than specific program details, and no information about vendor or timeline has been released yet.

The Czech Republic’s ČEZ has submitted the Environmental Impact Assessment for its planned SMR project at Temelín to the Ministry of the Environment. The Ministry’s review, which has now begun, is a key part of the regulatory process and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. The Temelín project is the first of ČEZ’s planned series of Rolls-Royce SMRs.

A coalition of anti-nuclear political parties in Switzerland claims to have collected enough signatures to hold a referendum to affirm the country’s ban on new nuclear construction. If approved, the referendum would take place in early 2027, and campaigning has already begun. This initiative follows the Swiss government’s vote in June to lift a post-Fukushima ban on nuclear construction, triggering the anti-nuclear groups to force a referendum.

German environmental organization BUND announced its plans to ask a court to stop the planned expansion of the Lingen nuclear fuel facility in the state of Lower Saxony that would allow for cooperation with Russian nuclear agency Rosatom. The organization will seek an emergency injunction to prevent the project from proceeding while its lawsuit against Lower Saxony is considered by the courts. The Lingen fuel plant is one of the country’s last nuclear fuel cycle facilities, and this case will be a test of Germany’s ability to keep Russian state-backed companies out of its energy sector.

Westinghouse Electric has contracted South Korea’s Hyundai E&C to carry out basic design studies for the construction of two large nuclear power plants in the Netherlands based on Westinghouse’s AP1000 design. In August, the Nuclear Energy Organization of the Netherlands awarded Westinghouse and Électricité de France (EDF) contracts to build nuclear reactors. The Netherlands currently operates one nuclear reactor, but the government has placed nuclear power at the heart of its energy and climate policy.

Dutch nuclear fuel company Thorizon and international uranium company Urenco signed a memorandum of understanding to examine Urenco’s potential role in the molten salt fuel supply chain and how depleted uranium could become a fuel resource for Dutch advanced nuclear reactors. The cooperation will explore potential enrichment services from Urenco, its role in the molten salt fuel supply chain, and opportunities to improve uranium utilization across the fuel cycle.

Turkey has successfully completed hydraulic tests to check the primary circuit systems and equipment at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant unit 1, paving the way for hot functional tests to begin. Both cold and hot hydraulic tests take place before the loading of nuclear fuel in the commissioning process. Turkey’s Akkuyu Power Plant is being built by Rosatom under its build-own-operate (BOO) model, and the aim is for unit 1 to begin supplying Turkey’s energy system by the end of this year.

The IAEA conducted its Long-Term Operation (LTO) review mission of the Oskarshamn Nuclear Power Plant in Sweden, focusing on aspects related to the safe long-term operation of Oskarshamn’s unit 3. The team found that the plant had updated the LTO program ensuring that all LTO activities are systematically planned, and clear responsibility has been assigned for completing necessary activities. The unit currently has a planned operating period until 2045, but the owners of the plant are exploring a 20-year extension to the unit’s operating life.

Fusion for Energy, along with a consortium of engineering partners, has manufactured and delivered the final section of the vacuum vessel for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). This component is where the fusion reaction itself will take place and be contained. Fabrication of the vacuum vessel, which is the final major ITER component to be delivered, has been in progress for 16 years, with South Korea manufacturing most of the other sections.

Asia & The Pacific

South Korea has negotiated limits on payments to Westinghouse Electric as Korean companies prepare to enter the U.S. nuclear power market under the trade agreement with the Trump administration. South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy said these negotiations are meant to prevent excessive increases in costs, although the potential liability for construction delays and cost overruns remains unresolved. A separate South Korean-U.S. investment fund would provide up to $30 billion for every two Korean reactors.

The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) has projected that the economic impact generated over the lifecycle of a single 1,200-megawatt nuclear power plant is about $27.2 billion. JAIF President and CEO Hideki Masui presented the trade organization’s report at a press conference outlining the various benefits of a single nuclear power plant. Japan’s government seeks to have nuclear power generate about 20% of the country’s electricity by 2040, with five reactors due to be decommissioned and replaced by the 2040s and up to 14 reactors by the 2050s.

The first unit of Bangladesh’s Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant achieved criticality just three days after the country’s national atomic regulator gave it the go-ahead to begin criticality tests. The start-up followed talks between Bangladesh’s Science and Technology Ministry and Russian nuclear agency Rosatom, and Rosatom has stated the power start-up of the unit is scheduled for November 20 of this year. Bangladesh is building its first ever nuclear power plant in collaboration with Rosatom, and fuel loading was completed in May of this year.

Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) and Gujarat State Electricity Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding to explore and identify suitable sites in the state of Gujarat for new nuclear power plant projects. NPCIL says the MoU will facilitate cooperation in discussions, relevant information sharing, and identification and assessment of potential sites. India currently has 24 operable nuclear reactors with a capacity of nearly 8 gigawatts electrical (GWe), and the government seeks to increase capacity to 100 GWe by 2047.

Africa

The government of Namibia has named a Nuclear Commissioner to prepare the country for eventual nuclear power deployment. The commissioner will lead the country’s new nuclear program implementation agency as well as coordinate with an interagency body designing the country’s nuclear policies. While Namibia presently imports much of its electricity from South Africa, it has significant uranium reserves and last October finalized its first Nuclear Industry Strategy.

The Middle East

There are no new updates for this region.

South & Central America

IMI replaced multiple obsolete valves at Argentina’s Embalse nuclear power plant. This upgrade will extend the lifetime of the aging plant, which was built in the 1990s. The Embalse plant is one of three nuclear plants in Argentina and supplies roughly 680 MW to its grid.

North America Nuclear Collaborations and Policy

United States

NASA and the Department of Energy have signed a new memorandum of understanding to establish a framework for end-to-end collaboration across the full spectrum of space nuclear development. The “Accelerating American Leadership in Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion” MoU will see the agencies work together to supercharge civil space exploration and solidify American leadership in space nuclear energy. NASA has been directed by the U.S. government to develop a launch-ready lunar surface reactor by 2030, with the agency targeting to launch the Space Reactor-1 Freedom by late 2028.

The Department of Energy announced a conditional loan commitment of up to $4.22 billion in finance power uprates and modernization projects at Vistra Corp’s Beaver Valley, Davis-Besse, and Perry nuclear power plants. Vistra’s planned investments will produce more electricity from existing nuclear plants while also supporting the plant’s operation for an additional 20 years beyond their existing licenses. The projects will preserve nearly 4 gigawatts of reliable baseload nuclear power and add 433 megawatts of new nuclear capacity.

Holtec submitted the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for two small modular reactor (SMR) units at the Palisades Energy Center in Michigan. The report provides the NRC with detailed technical and safety information supporting Holtec’s application to construct the Pioneer 1 and 2 SMRs and completes the second phase of Holtec’s Construction Permit Application process. The Pioneer reactors are planned to be brought online in the early 2030s and are part of Holtec’s plans to revive nuclear operations at the Palisades site.

Kairos Power secured $643 million in combined private and government financing to support the construction of its Hermes 2 demonstration reactor in Tennessee. In terms of funding, $368 million came from investors such as Google Ventures and DCVC, $275 million was secured from the Department of Energy, and an additional $70 million comes from its partnership with Samsung S&T. Kairos expects its 50-megawatt Hermes 2 demonstration system to start up in 2030.

California governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills that could shape the future of nuclear fission and fusion energy in the state. The first bill directs the state to conduct a formal assessment of new nuclear plants and advance nuclear technologies, while the second bill establishes a state fusion energy strategic planning process and directs development of a regulatory framework for fusion energy. California currently operates one nuclear power plant at Diablo Canyon and is considering extending operations at the power plant’s reactors.

The Department of Energy has approved cost-shared funding for the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment under its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. The funding is intended to support work by Southern Company, the Idaho National Laboratory, and maritime nuclear specialist Core Power to advance scientific understanding of molten salt reactor technology and inform future reactor development. The Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment aims to achieve first criticality in 2027.

The Department of Energy’s Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) announced three vouchers to support the development of innovative nuclear technologies. The awardees are BNNT Materials, Tam Fortis Solutions, and Ur-Energy USA. Each company will get access to specific capabilities and expertise in the DoE’s national laboratory complex, with BNNT Materials developing a gasket for use in high-temperature molten salts and Tam Fortis validating its microreactor design.

Urenco USA’s National Enrichment Facility has installed the sixth cascade of separative work units (SWU), expanding the facility’s uranium enrichment capacity. The company is in the process of installing 700,000 SWU of new capacity between 2025 and 2027 through the addition of eight centrifuge cascades to an existing building at the site.

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy signed a memorandum of understanding to advance modern commercial nuclear technology at sea. The agreement spans floating power solutions, nuclear-powered vessels, and the development of ports, shipyards, and industrial bases needed to build and sustain these vessels. Key priorities include concept and feasibility studies for floating nuclear power plants and transportation corridors.

Type One Energy has raised $200 million from investors, making it one of the top-funded fusion power companies in the United States. The Series B funding will support the company’s groundbreaking on a 400-megawatt commercial power plant. Type One is set to build its first two fusion devices on the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Bull Run site, and Type One will work with AECOM on the initial Infinity Two commercial power plant.

U.S. Senator Tim Scott introduced the Opportunities for Nuclear Energy Investment Act which is designed to encourage investment into the construction of new nuclear facilities and bring equipment manufacturing back to the United States. The Act would expand 10% bonus credit for nuclear energy production to include the building of nuclear facilities under Section 48E. Additionally, the legislation would expand the 45X Advanced Manufacturing Tax Credit to include distribution transformers and larger power transformers manufactured in the United States.

The Department of Energy has given its approval of the Documented Safety Analysis for Last Energy’s planned pilot reactor at Texas A&M-RELLIS. This allows the PWR-5 pilot plant project to move into the readiness review, which is the final step before authorization for criticality and reactor operations. Last Energy was selected to take part in the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program in 2025 to accelerate reactor demonstration by authorizing test reactors through the DoE’s licensing process.

The Idaho National Laboratory announced that Deployable Energy is next in line to test its reactor design at the Nuclear Reactor Innovation Center’s Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) test bed. Deployable was selected earlier this year as one of the first companies for the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad and achieved zero-power fueled criticality at the Idaho National Laboratory on June 1. DOME is a reactor test bed built from the containment system of the Experimental Breed Reactor-II.

Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources published a new state energy plan that prioritizes new nuclear power plants as a means of ensuring energy independence and grid reliability. Missouri uses eight times more energy than it produces, and Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Jake Buxton stated that nuclear power is best suited to provide the state with around the clock electricity. Missouri’s sole nuclear power facility is the Callaway Nuclear Generating Station.

The Department of Energy’s MARVEL microreactor has received its primary coolant vessel ahead of its first criticality test. The arrival gives engineers another major component to integrate before the reactor enters initial testing sometime in December of this year. If the MARVEL reactor reaches initial criticality as planned, researchers will have their first opportunity to put the reactor’s physics to the test and begin building the dataset that the project was designed to produce.

The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy announced a new funding opportunity to accelerate the research and development of silicon carbide classing. Up to $50 million in competitive funding is available over three years to support work that will result in the fabrication of 12-foot silicon carbide-cladding fuel rods for irradiation testing in research reactors. Silicon carbide is emerging as a promising advanced fuel cladding material capable of enhancing nuclear reactor safety while reducing operational costs.

Canada

Canadian startup Prodigy Clean Energy and its First Nation partners have selected BWXT’s BANR microreactor for its proposed transportable nuclear power plant in New Brunswick. The floating plant would host two BANRs and provide power for up to 40,000 homes in the province. Last month, the government of New Brunswick signed a letter of intent with Prodigy and the Pabineau and Eel River Bar first nations to offtake the electricity produced by the plant once operational in the early 2030s.

Mexico

The IAEA hosted a training course for Mexican nuclear professionals at the Laguna Verde nuclear power plant in the state of Veracruz. The course focused on long-term plant operation. Laguna Verde, which is Mexico’s only operating nuclear power plant, has two reactors which came online in 1990 and 1995 and are thus approaching the end of their anticipated operational lifetime.

New Research

Nuclear Security Review

International Atomic Energy Agency, October 14

Can Nuclear Fuel Be Delivered in Time to Power Advanced Nuclear Reactors?

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, October 8

Op-Eds & Articles

Nuclear-Powered Data Centers? It’s a Tough Sell in Utah Coal Country.

Canary Media, October 14

How to Fulfill the Great Potential of Nuclear Energy. Affordable, Clean, Perpetual Power.

Real Clear Energy, October 14

US Nuclear’s Low-Hanging Fruit Is Being Gobbled Up

Bloomberg, October 13

Congress Has the Power to Fix the Trump-Saudi Nuclear Deal

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, October 13

Why Google Is Paying to Upgrade Nuclear Power Plants

Grist, October 13

How to Streamline Nuclear Approvals While Preserving Independent Safety Review

Center on Global Energy Policy, October 12

Where the New York Times Missed a Few Facts About Nuclear Reactors on the Moon

Neutron Bytes, October 10

Nuclear Energy Investment Is Booming. Why Have So Few Noticed?

The National Interest, October 9

The U.S. Nuclear Plant Fleet Is Leaning Into AI

IEEE Spectrum, October 8

Could Tennessee Store More Nuclear Waste? Its Bid Faces One Less Rival.

Knoxville News Sentinel, October 8

How Westinghouse and Korea Carve Up the Nuclear Reactor Export Market

Neutron Bytes, October 8

How Advanced Nuclear Can Expand Utility Options

POWER Magazine, October 7

A New Trend in Nuclear Energy: Squeezing More Power Out of Old Plants

The New York Times, October 6

Winning the Nuclear Market Before the Reactor Is Sold

POWER Magazine, October 6

Russia’s Nuclear Plants Are Ageing. Who Will Pay to Dismantle Them?

Al Jazeera, October 4

Modernizing NRC Environmental Review Without Overcorrecting

The Breakthrough Institute, October 1

News items and summaries compiled by:

Patrick Kendall, Program Director, Partnership for Global Security

Paul Tervo, Della Ratta Fellow, Partnership for Global Security