News Reactor | September 2025

News Reactor | September 2025

Top News

U.S. Senate Confirms Ted Garrish as DOE's Nuclear Energy Secretary

Theodore (Ted) Garrish, who was recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate, previously served as the secretary under President Ronald Reagan, among other roles at the Department of Energy and with the federal government. Garrish was appointed earlier this year, but his confirmation was delayed by the Senate until this month.

State Policy Updates

Montana Governor Establishes Energy Advisory Council

Executive Order 6 by Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte creates the Energy Advisory Council to provide short- and long-term recommendations focused on Montana's energy sources and cost. The council will be composed of various stakeholders in the state, including representatives of businesses, utilities, electric cooperatives, and state administrative and elected officials. The group will be supported by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Additionally, the order specifically highlights investment in nuclear development and infrastructure, among other sources, to meet Montana's energy goals. The executive order instructs the new advisory council to submit its first report by September 15, 2026.

State Legislative Updates

State legislatures have introduced over 200 bills related to nuclear energy and spent nuclear fuel during the 2025 session. Below is a selection of bills with recent action: 

Indiana HB 4122 (introduced), titled Fast Track Nuclear Now Act, would amend the state's Public Utility Act to allow the construction of nuclear power reactors with a generation capacity over 300 MW. The bill also declares that it is the policy of the state to facilitate new nuclear construction and directs the state to work in coordination with federal nuclear agencies to develop safe nuclear projects.

Wisconsin SB 124 (enacted) creates a new board for nuclear and fusion technology and establishes plans for a nuclear power summit in Madison, Wisc., in 2028. The new board will plan and execute the nuclear power summit with the goal of educating participants and sharing opportunities to advance nuclear. The bill also outlines expectations for administrative and financial resources from the state's economic development corporation, as well as the required types of members on the board.

Stay up to date on these bills and more with NCSL's 50-state bill tracking database. Filter by topics such as nuclear, renewable energy, workforce and more.

Nuclear Power Plants and Infrastructure

Westinghouse's AP1000 Received 40-year Design Approval

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the design of Westinghouse's AP1000, which was initially certified in 2006, for another 40 years. Currently, the NRC has certified eight reactor designs in the US. These designs do not require further approval for construction, but sites for new reactors still require normal permitting and safety approvals. Six AP1000 reactors are operating in China and the U.S.

Materials, Nuclear Fuel, and Spent Nuclear Fuel

DOE Creates Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain Consortium

The Department of Energy has created a new initiative to further develop the U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain by offering voluntary agreements to companies offering services in mining and milling, conversion, enrichment, deconversion, fabrication, recycling. and reprocessing of materials needed for nuclear fuel. According to the DOE, the new consortium, titled the Defense Production Act Consortium, will leverage rights granted through the act of the same name. The Defense Production Act allows the US to bypass certain restrictions and identify critical production or service contracts for use in national defense or emergency preparedness. The administration considers the domestic nuclear supply chain as under the purview of the act, given past reliance on foreign countries for nuclear materials. More information and contact information for the initiative can be found here.

Washington's Hanford Cleanup to Start in October After Delay

Washington State officials expressed frustration over the last month over the delay of a planned cleanup project at the state's Hanford site and public rumors that the Department of Energy may be changing project plans. This past week, the DOE announced that the project will commence in October. The site contains waste from plutonium production from U.S. nuclear weapons projects that began in the 1940s and was left behind after weapons production concluded. High-level radioactive waste from the site will be treated at a nearby Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, where it will be vitrified, a process that transforms liquids into a solid glass material. Vitrified waste will then be stored based on its level of radioactivity. The scope and plan for the ongoing Hanford remediation can be found on the project's website.

Urenco Completes Second Cascade, Partners with Aalo Atomics

A second centrifuge cascade is now operating at Urenco USA's New Mexico facility, enriching uranium for nuclear fuel. The facility is currently the only commercially operating fuel enrichment facility in the U.S., though other facilities are operating as demonstration or research facilities. According to Urenco, their production can provide fuel for about one-third of current commercial demand in the U.S., but the company plans to expand to meet the new demand as the commercial SMR and advanced reactor fleet expands. With the new production expansion, Urenco is in agreement with Aalo Atomics to supply low enriched uranium fuel to the Aalo-X reactor in 2026. The Aalo-X reactor is a new reactor housed at Idaho National Lab as part of the Department of Energy's Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program.

Oklo to Construct Waste Recycling Center in Oak Ridge

Oklo announced plans early this month to construct a new facility in Oak Ridge, Tenn., to recycle spent nuclear fuel for use in the company's fast reactors. The company has completed a licensing project plan with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and will begin the pre-application for licensing next. Oklo and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) are currently discussing how they can support TVA by reprocessing their used nuclear fuel, though the facility can support fuel from other sites. The company hopes to begin fuel reprocessing by the early 2030s.

Initiatives, Announcements, and Funding Opportunities

DOE Opening Idaho National Lab for Data Center Projects

The Department of Energy has issued a Request for Applications for projects constructing and powering data centers at Idaho National Lab (INL) for use in artificial intelligence-related projects. Earlier this year, the DOE expressed interest in opening up federal national laboratory sites for AI and energy innovation, partnering research interests with industrial technology. The initiative will issue long-term leases to projects, with applicants responsible for building, operating, and eventually decommissioning their projects. They also must secure relevant interconnection agreements for any grid connection and storage. Projects must focus on enhancing AI computing through energy and water-efficient innovation and relate to the DOE's energy and national security missions. The RFA and related documents can be found here.

Nuclear Energy Resource

The Nuclear Energy Institute and Electric Power Research Institute released an updated version of the North American Advanced Reactor Roadmap.