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U.S. nuclear energy company Holtec advances on two fronts this week: decommissioning aging nuclear plants and positioning small reactors in the southern U.S.

U.S. nuclear energy company Holtec recently announced two significant developments, reflecting the dual trend in the current nuclear power industry of retiring existing capacity while expanding new capacity. On one hand, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the license termination plan for the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, moving the decommissioning process of this veteran commercial nuclear facility in New Jersey, which began operations in 1969, past a key regulatory milestone. On the other hand, Holtec announced a partnership with Entergy and Hyundai Engineering & Construction to evaluate potential sites for deploying new reactors in the southern Gulf Coast region of the United States. The Oyster Creek plant ceased power generation in 2018 and was subsequently taken over by Holtec for decommissioning. The recently approved license termination plan...

2026-08-11

Linn County, Iowa, rejects rezoning application for data center site near nuclear power plant

The Linn County Board of Supervisors in Iowa said Monday it will not proceed with amendments to the EU-2 zoning district. This decision means that large data centers will not be permitted to be built near nuclear facilities through this zoning rule for the time being. The current EU-2 zoning primarily allows for nuclear power generation facilities, nuclear waste storage facilities, and natural gas power generation facilities, and does not list large data centers as permitted uses. The zoning adjustment drew attention due to the potential restart of the Duane Arnold Energy Center near Palo. If the nuclear facility were to resume operations, it could provide a stable power source for energy-intensive data centers, prompting interest from data center companies in surrounding...

2026-08-11

Arkansas Evaluates Six Candidate Areas for New Nuclear Power Development

A latest research report in the U.S. state of Arkansas concludes that six areas in the state could serve as candidate sites for future nuclear power development, and that new reactors are both "feasible and necessary" locally. The report states that, under a relatively aggressive timeline, a new nuclear power plant in Arkansas could begin operation by the mid-2030s. The 533-page study was completed by Excel Services Corporation, a Maryland-based consulting firm, commissioned by the Arkansas Legislature's Joint Energy Committee. The six candidate areas listed in the report include Flint Creek in Benton County, the existing Arkansas Nuclear One (...

2026-08-11

Kyoto Fusioneering to Relocate U.S. Headquarters to Oak Ridge

Kyoto Fusioneering (KF) will relocate its U.S. headquarters to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, investing $46.9 million in Anderson County and creating 51 new jobs. The project will build critical fusion testing infrastructure, with a focus on supporting the development of the fusion nuclear testing facility UNITY-3. UNITY-3 is planned to be built at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) through a public-private partnership. The facility has received support from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and has been listed as a national priority in its final "Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap." According to the plan, UNITY-3 will employ a deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion neutron source to validate tritium breeding capabilities and related performance under conditions approaching a real fusion nuclear environment...

2026-08-11

TMTG Advances $6 Billion-Plus Merger with TAE, Pivoting to Commercial Fusion Energy

Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) recently disclosed that it will proceed with its merger plan with fusion energy firm TAE Technologies (TAE), despite reporting significant losses in the second quarter. The deal is valued at over $6 billion, with TMTG committing to invest $300 million in TAE before the transaction closes. According to company disclosures, TMTG recorded a loss of $238 million in the second quarter of 2026, with revenue of $1.7 million and total assets approaching $2 billion. In the first half of 2026, the company's net loss widened to $644 million, compared to a loss of $52 million in the same period last year. The company attributed the widening losses primarily to...

2026-08-11

Hadron Energy Appoints Eric Williams as Executive Vice President of Engineering

Advanced nuclear technology company Hadron Energy announced on August 10 that Eric Williams will join the company as Executive Vice President of Engineering, effective August 31, 2026. Hadron Energy is currently developing the Halo micro modular reactor (MMR) based on pressurized water reactor technology. Hadron Energy went public on Nasdaq in May 2026. The company stated that Eric Williams' addition will strengthen its engineering organization and support the advancement of Halo MMR from design and licensing to commercial deployment. According to company information, Hadron Energy has recently made progress in work related to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), including approval of its quality assurance program description and submission of major design criteria white papers.

2026-08-11

MIT Research Proposes Framework for Assessing Economic Viability of Fusion Power Plants

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have recently proposed an assessment framework aimed at addressing the core question that fusion energy must confront in transitioning from scientific feasibility to commercial profitability: how can a fusion power plant achieve economic viability in the energy market? The related open-access paper, titled "Criteria for the Economic Viability of Fusion Power Plants," has been published online in the Journal of Fusion Energy. The paper is authored by Dennis Whyte, Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT, and Andrew W. Lo, Professor of Finance at the MIT Sloan School of Management, with contributions from researchers at Rutherford Energy Ventures and the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center.

2026-08-10

U.S. Plans $1 Billion Security Assistance to Colombia, Civil Nuclear Energy Added to Bilateral Cooperation List

The U.S. Department of State announced on August 8 that it plans to provide $1 billion in security assistance to Colombia to support the security policies of the new administration of President Abelardo de la Espriella. The assistance package is viewed by the Trump administration as a core component of the "renewed alliance" between the U.S. and Colombia, and will be advanced in coordination with Congress. The State Department framed the assistance plan within the context of a "new chapter" in bilateral relations, while also proposing deeper economic cooperation in areas such as energy, critical minerals, infrastructure, technology, and civil nuclear energy. Compared to the previous tensions between Trump and former Colombian President Gustavo Petro over immigration and security issues, de la Espriella's...

2026-08-10

Paraguay's Nuclear Power Generation Debate Heats Up: Regulator Supports Private Sector Participation

Paraguay's Radiation and Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ARRN) has welcomed the open attitude shown by the National Electricity Administration (ANDE), stating that allowing or encouraging private sector participation in nuclear power generation projects would bring new discussion space to the country's energy mix. This stance indicates that nuclear energy is no longer just a long-term technical vision but has begun to enter the public agenda of policy, investment, and regulatory coordination. Paraguay has long relied on hydropower resources, with major projects such as Itaipu and Yacyretá giving it an advantage in clean electricity. However, with domestic industrialization, growing electricity consumption, and changes in the regional energy market, sole reliance on hydropower also faces pressures from seasonality, hydrological conditions, and long-term demand...

2026-08-10

LLNL Research in the U.S. Reveals New Mechanisms of Laser Polarization Effects in NIF Inertial Confinement Fusion Experiments

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have recently discovered in studies related to the National Ignition Facility (NIF) that the polarization state of lasers may influence the cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) process in inertial confinement fusion experiments and could help reduce backscatter and the risk of damage to optical components. The related paper, titled "Effects of Laser Polarization on Cross-Beam Energy Transfer in Inertial Confinement Fusion," was recently published as a featured article in the journal Physics of Plasmas. NIF experiments demand extremely high precision in laser control. The facility's 192 laser beams must be focused to a width of a few millimeters and enter the target area through holes approximately 3 millimeters in diameter located at the top or bottom of a gold hohlraum. The hohlraum is about 2 centimeters in diameter. After the lasers enter the plasma, different beams cross each other and undergo energy transfer, a process known as cross-beam energy transfer. When designing NIF inertial confinement fusion experiments, scientists carefully tune the laser wavelengths to use CBET to balance energy distribution and improve implosion symmetry.

2026-08-10

Three Los Angeles Companies Race in Portable Nuclear Power Sector

Southern California is emerging as a key testing ground for portable nuclear power technology. Three companies from the Los Angeles area—Valar Atomics in El Segundo, Antares Nuclear in Torrance, and Radiant Industries, also based in El Segundo—have joined federally backed pilot projects for portable nuclear power plants. These small-scale nuclear generating units are designed for rapid transport, deployment, and activation, with target scenarios including remote disaster zones, military bases, off-grid facilities, and even future deep-space missions. The reactors from Valar Atomics and Antares Nuclear achieved self-sustaining nuclear reactions before the July 4 government deadline, demonstrating their potential for rapid deployment...

2026-08-09

Fluor's Q2 New Orders Surge to $6.1 Billion, Nuclear Fuel Enrichment Projects Boost Backlog to $26.9 Billion

U.S. engineering and construction giant Fluor demonstrated a clear acceleration in order intake in the second quarter of 2026, with new project awards reaching $6.1 billion, significantly higher than the $1.8 billion recorded in the same period last year. Among these, nuclear fuel enrichment projects emerged as a key highlight, driving the company's ending backlog to $26.9 billion. The rapid expansion in order volume indicates that customer demand for its engineering, procurement, and construction capabilities is recovering, and also reflects the tangible results of converting earlier front-end design and project development work. In terms of contract structure, 89% of Fluor's new orders this quarter were reimbursable contracts, while reimbursable contracts also accounted for 85% of total backlog, up from 80% in the same period last year....

2026-08-09

Thorium Atomics Initiates Pre-Application Regulatory Engagement with U.S. Regulators for Tesseract TGR Reactor

On August 7, Thorium Atomics announced that it has initiated pre-application regulatory engagement with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its Tesseract TGR advanced reactor project. Prior to this, the company submitted a letter of intent to the NRC outlining the technical and licensing discussions it plans to conduct with regulators in the future. Thorium Atomics submitted the letter of intent on June 23, 2026. The NRC subsequently responded by letter on July 24, 2026, confirming the assignment of project number 99902174 for the Tesseract TGR project and designating a project manager from the Office of Advanced Reactors to coordinate pre-application activities. This number will be used for the administrative management and tracking of future correspondence, meetings, submissions...

2026-08-08

French innovative nuclear company Newcleo submits regulatory engagement plan to NRC for U.S. MOX fuel plant

On August 7, 2026, France-based innovative nuclear company Newcleo submitted a Regulatory Engagement Plan (REP) to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), paving the way for its proposed mixed oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication facility in the United States. The REP defines the framework for the company's pre-application phase with the NRC, key regulatory and technical topics, technical document submittals, and an indicative schedule. Previously, Newcleo sent a letter to the NRC on February 23 expressing its intent, and initiated pre-application interactions in March, engaging with the NRC on the design and safety approach for the LFR-AS-200 lead-cooled fast reactor and the associated MOX plant; last month, it had already submitted the REP for the LFR-AS-200 (200 MWe commercial version). Newcleo stated that this submission is a step toward advanced...

2026-08-09

U.S. NRC to Debut Modernized Hearing Process in Advanced Reactor Licensing Review for the First Time

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will hold a public hearing on August 13 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to consider the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) application to build a small modular reactor at the Clinch River site. This will mark the first time the NRC applies its modernized mandatory hearing framework in an advanced reactor licensing review. According to the NRC, the new hearing process is designed to give the public earlier insight into the agency's review of the project's safety and environmental impacts, while improving the transparency, predictability, and efficiency of licensing reviews. As part of its licensing modernization efforts, the NRC currently aims to complete construction permit-related decisions within 18 months. TVA plans to...

2026-08-07