- Key Role of Local Elected Officials Seen as Lynchpin to Successful New Nuclear Projects Highlighted in ECA Report
- ECA Conference in Idaho Falls, ID, April 22-24
- Growing Number of Universities Commit to Nuclear Energy Projects
- Amazon, Google, Meta and Dow Back Goal to Triple Nuclear Capacity
Key Role of Local Elected Officials Seen as Lynchpin to Successful New Nuclear Projects Highlighted in ECA Report
Communities across the country that were once home to government nuclear sites and/or former commercial energy plants are ready to help the United States today unleash the next wave of nuclear technologies, according to a new white paper from the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA).
In its paper, “From the Atomic Age to New Nuclear,” ECA outlines a host of projects either underway or currently planned at sites across the county to support new nuclear development across the fuel cycle. These projects are set to reuse land and assets from former government nuclear weapons and nuclear research sites, as well as sites once home to former coal or other power plants.
Local communities near energy sites can offer a variety of advantages to foster the growth of nuclear energy, including sites with significant amounts of land available for use, as well as existing utilities and connections to the electrical grid; experienced workforces well-versed in nuclear issues and, perhaps most important, strong support for nuclear science and technology.
“Communities that have a history of supporting American innovation are eager to usher in the next generation of nuclear technologies to continue to help our nation,” said Rebecca Casper, Mayor of Idaho Falls, Idaho; and ECA Vice-Chair. “We’re excited for the opportunity to take what we’ve learned for decades and apply it to this new challenge.”
ECA also calls on the U.S. Department of Energy in its paper to continue to work with local energy communities to foster what new Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has dubbed “a golden era of American energy dominance.”
DOE can take several steps, including working to finalize disposal paths for spent nuclear fuel and various types of radioactive waste, to build upon the momentum energy sites are experiencing, according to the white paper.
“The communities that ECA represents are proud of the strong working relationship across the public and private sectors ,” said Brent Gerry, Mayor of West Richland, Wash. and ECA Chair.
“We want to continue those relationships as DOE works to unleash commercial nuclear power. My community near the former Hanford site, like others, have long supported our nation, and we’re eager to continue to do so to help build this new golden era.”
“From the Atomic Age to New Nuclear” can be found on ECA’s website at www.energyca.org (Full Text – PDF file) See at the end of the report an appendix with a nationwide list of nuclear energy communities. Appendix: List of New Nuclear Projects
New Nuclear Projects in Communities Near DOE Facilities
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ECA Conference April 22-24 in Idaho Falls, ID
ECA will be discussing how energy communities can aid new nuclear development in a series of panels at this year’s Waste Management conference, hosted by Waste Management Symposia.
The conference is scheduled to be held from March 9-13 in Phoenix. In addition, ECA will be hosting its latest ECA Forum, “Moving New Nuclear Projects Forward” April 22-24 in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Additional information can be found on ECA’s website.
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Growing Number of Universities Commit to Nuclear Energy Projects
In terms of nuclear communities, a trend is that universities getting into deals with nuclear reactor developers. Five examples are listed below of which three of the five are already noted in the ECA report.
- Abilene Christian University – Molten salt reactor (Noted in ECA report)
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a construction permit for the deployment of the Natura Resources’ MSR-1 system at Abilene Christian University (ACU). This action by the regulatory agency marks the first construction permit for a liquid-fueled advanced reactor and only the second for any advanced reactor issued by the NRC.
The molten salt research reactor (MSRR) will to provide valuable operational data to support Natura’s 100MWe systems and will also serve as a world-class research tool to train advanced reactor operators and educate students.
- Texas A&M – four advanced reactor developers (noted in ECA report)
Texas A&M announced it has offered land near the Texas A&M University campus (Bryan- College Station, TX) to four nuclear reactor companies so they can build the latest small modular reactors (SMRs).
CEOs of four nuclear companies – Kairos Power, Natura Resources, Terrestrial Energy and Aalo Atomics have agreed to work with the University to bring reactors to Texas A&M-RELLIS, a 2,400-acre technology and innovation site as part of a project labeled as “The Energy Proving Ground.”
At the site, the companies will work toward bringing commercial-ready technologies to the university using the project to test the latest nuclear SMR prototypes.
Construction of the first reactors could start within five years. Once completed, power generated by each reactor at the proving ground could supply power to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas aka ERCOT. Texas is more or less isolated from the big electric transmission grids in both the eastern and western U.S.
- Texas A&M – advanced nuclear fuel (noted in ECA report)
Clean Core Thorium Energy (CCTE) (Clean Core), based in Chicago, has a strategic partnership agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy for the testing of Clean Core’s innovative thorium fuel for nuclear power plants. The agreement is the next step for irradiation testing and qualification in Idaho National Laboratory’s Advanced Test Reactor of Clean Core’s advanced nuclear fuel. Clean Core, in partnership with Texas A&M University and INL, completed the fabrication of the ANEEL fuel pellets under INL’s quality assurance requirements. The pellets are ready to be inserted into a testing assembly.
- Penn State – Westinghouse eVinci microreactor (new in-depth coverage at Neutron Bytes)
Penn State and Westinghouse Electric Co. are partnering to unlock the potential of the industry-leading eVinci microreactor by engaging with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to develop a new nuclear research facility at the University Park campus.
Penn State submitted a letter of intent to the NRC on 02/28/25 which is the first step in the application process to install an eVinci microreactor at the new research facility.
The eVinci microreactor, a microreactor product of Westinghouse that uses heat pipe technology, is expected to offer a reliable and safe solution for powering the University’s research facilities and buildings across campus.
University of Illinois – Ultra Safe, or rather its successor, Nano Nuclear plans to proceed with a plan to build a microreactor for research and for power at the University.
NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) announced that the NRC has updated the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U. of I.) project landing page (NRC Project No. 99902094) surrounding the KRONOS MMRTM Energy System pre-application engagement, officially designating NANO Nuclear as the reactor’s designer.
In January 2025, NANO Nuclear acquired certain nuclear energy technology assets from Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, now in bankruptcy status, and its subsidiaries, including the KRONOS MMRTM Energy System.
At that time, NANO Nuclear signaled its intent to extend an existing collaboration for this project with U. of I. to demonstrate the system’s technology readiness level. The adjustment to the university’s regulatory docket reflects the ongoing progress of these efforts and underscores NANO Nuclear’s commitment to guiding the KRONOS MMRTM Energy System through demonstration and all applicable regulatory processes.
The proposed research reactor would utilize TRISO particle fuel, helium gas coolant, and graphite moderator. The reactor would be located on the university’s Urbana campus and would have a molten salt secondary loop providing thermal integration with in-place infrastructure.
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Amazon, Google, Meta and Dow Back Goal to Triple Nuclear Capacity
- Tech giants and other major energy users Amazon, Google, Meta, Dow, Occidental, Allseas and OSGE have signed a pledge supporting the goal of at least tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050.
(WNN) The announcement, at CERAWeek 2025 in Houston, Texas, in the USA, of the Large Energy Users Pledge, follows earlier pledges by 31 countries, by 140 nuclear industry companies and 14 major global banks and financial institutions to support the tripling goal.
The pledge says that “despite ongoing energy efficiency and optimization efforts, energy demand in many industries is expected to increase significantly in the coming years in order to support growing economies” and the signatories “agree that nuclear energy capacity should at least triple by 2050, from current levels, to help achieve global goals for enhanced energy resiliency and security, and continuous firm clean energy supply”.
It recognizes “that large energy users often depend on the availability of abundant energy for their successful and cost-competitive operations, and that nuclear energy can provide round-the-clock energy independently of the weather, the season or the geographical location” and that “safe, clean, firm energy technologies, including nuclear, play an important role in creating a diversified and reliable grid.”
They also agree “that there is a significant role for nuclear technologies to provide generation for a wide range of economic activity, including the technology sector, increased electrification, the provision of high temperature industrial process heat, hydrogen production, district heating and the production of synthetic fuels” and “by ensuring that nuclear and other energy sources have equal access to finance, governments can enable nuclear capacity deployment at scale worldwide”. It also calls “on other large energy user companies to join this pledge.”
The official unveiling of the pledge took place at a CERAWeek event co-hosted by World Nuclear Association and Urenco. Sama Bilbao y LeĂłn, Director General of World Nuclear Association, said:
“The unprecedented support announced today by some of the world’s most influential companies to at least triple global nuclear capacity by 2050 sends a clear signal to accelerate policy, finance and regulatory changes that enable the rapid expansion of nuclear power. The global shift towards more nuclear highlights this is the only way we’ll deliver the abundant firm clean energy required to power growth and innovation in technology, a host of other industries and the entire economy.”
The initial pledge to triple global nuclear energy capacity was launched by World Nuclear Association in partnership with Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation ahead of the COP28 summit in Dubai in 2023.
Nuclear energy currently accounts for 9% of the world’s electricity from 439 operable nuclear power reactors. Global energy demand is projected to grow at about 4% per year, according to the International Energy Agency.
Apple, Microsoft Pass on the Pledge
The group statement was noticeably not signed by Microsoft and Apple, raising questions about their long-term energy strategies. Both companies have committed to sustainability and carbon neutrality, with Microsoft aiming for carbon negativity by 2030 and Apple working toward a net-zero supply chain by 2030.
Their reluctance to endorse nuclear power may stem from a preference for other renewable solutions; however, Microsoft has already pursued a nuclear deal independently.
In 2024, Microsoft signed a 20-year deal to purchase power from Constellation’s Three Mile Island energy plant. The plant is due to reopen in 2028.
Apple, on the other hand, has never publicly committed to nuclear energy projects.
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