Capitalizing on community

One month into my term as president of the American Nuclear Society, it is already clear that the nuclear field continues to move quickly. June alone brought a striking number of developments, each one pointing to the momentum of this moment.

Antares's Mark-0 microreactor reaching criticality at Idaho National Laboratory was more than a technical milestone. It effectively brought reactor No. 53 on line at a site that has shaped much of the nation's nuclear history, with 52 reactors built there since 1951. And more criticality starts were delivered in June and July, enabled by the Department of Energy and its partnerships with private companies.

At the same time, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is continuing its broad regulatory reform effort, and nuclear technology is being used to help combat an outbreak of New World screwworm that has spread to the United States.

This brief recap leaves out much of what has happened over the past month, but it captures both the strength and the complexity of the moment. News like this points to a need only ANS can meet, as a forum where experts from every discipline across the nuclear community can gather, stay informed, and work together.

That is why opportunities like the upcoming Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo are so important. NECX 2026 will be jointly hosted by ANS and the Nuclear Energy Institute at the end of this month and is set to bring together more than 1,000 professionals to discuss the present and future of nuclear energy. This will be only the second annual offering of NECX. It represents a new collaborative undertaking for ANS and NEI and is an important opportunity to combine our resources, ultimately strengthening the nuclear community overall.

Turning my attention to this month's issue of Nuclear News, you will find features here zooming in on the nuclear fuel cycle, including global collaboration at the front end of the fuel cycle and the DOE's new Center for Used Fuel Research located at INL.

I was formally educated in geology and came into the nuclear world by way of geologic disposal, specifically by working on the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository Project. I have been invested in the back end of the fuel cycle since the earliest days of my nuclear career, and I remain dedicated now to finding realistic solutions to problems spanning everything from recycling to disposal.

ANS has a unique vantage point on the complicated landscape of the fuel cycle. The public and media are becoming more aware of the differences between advanced reactor designs. However, discussions on the distinctions between fuel types, storage methods, and recycling plans-not to mention the technical and economic considerations undergirding those discussions-still remain mostly the domain of experts. It is up to us not only to move fuel technologies and policies forward but also to shape the narrative around those developments wisely.

Criticalities and ever-growing plans for wide-scale reactor deployments are certainly exciting, but those plans won't come to fruition without careful and well-informed investment in the entire fuel cycle. One thing is for sure: ANS will play a crucial role in guiding the multifaceted conversations and plans to come.