Nuclear NewsNEW Google and Oracle deals support long-term US plant operationsGoogle and Oracle deals support long-term US plant operations A novel path to fusion ignition: heat first, then add fuel
Marlin
Marlin
Nuclear NewsNEW A novel path to fusion ignition: heat first, then add fuelPhysicists at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have reformulated the traditional Lawson criterion for fusion ignition. The updated model maps an energy-efficient path that requires heating the plasma before increasing its density. This theoretical framework helps researchers evaluate tokamak and stellarator designs by incorporating real-world factors like wall impurities and energy losses. Better operational planning could lower development costs and reduce thermal instability risks for future commercial fusion power systems. For more than 70 years, fusion energy researchers have used a...
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Nuclear NewsNEW Berkeley opens FLiNaK test bedThe University of California–Berkeley commissioned a forced-flow molten fluoride salt test bed operating at temperatures up to 700°C. The facility allows researchers to study heat transfer, component performance, and thermal dynamics for advanced fission and fusion systems. The generated data will help validate computational models for upcoming small reactors, microreactors, and fusion blanket designs. The University of California–Berkeley now has a forced-flow molten fluoride salt test bed that circulates molten FLiNaK—a salt mixture containing lithium fluoride, sodium fluoride, and potassium...Core Content
Core ContentNuclear NewsNEW Details emerge on Valar’s Utah plansReactor start-up Valar Atomics applied to lease over 9,000 acres of federal land in Utah for Project Beehive. The proposed facility would house 456 reactors, co-located data centers, and a fuel production facility. The project highlights ongoing regulatory questions regarding how developers will transition from Department of Energy authorizations to Nuclear Regulatory Commission commercial licensing. Observers are tracking Valar's aggressive construction timeline, which targets initial operations by 2028, alongside the broader implications for co-siting microreactors with large industrial powe...Core Content
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Nuclear NewsNEW AMPERA SUBMITS COMPREHENSIVE ENGAGEMENT PLAN TO THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONAdvanced nuclear developer AMPERA submitted its regulatory engagement plan to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a commercial subcritical, thorium-fueled, modular microreactor system. The plan addresses reactor licensing, fuel fabrication, and material activities under multiple federal regulations to support deployment across various sites. The technology utilizes an external neutron generator to initiate and sustain operation, providing an additional layer of operational control. /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced nuclear company AMPERA has submitted a comprehensive Regulatory Engagement Plan t...Core Content
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Nuclear NewsNEW Atomic Energy Commission Films Available OnlineThe Department of Energy History program is releasing digital versions of historical Atomic Energy Commission films. The initial rollout features twenty-two digitized documentaries covering early reactor operations, national laboratories, and peaceful applications of nuclear technology. These archival materials provide industry observers with a direct look at Cold War era public outreach and educational media. The collection documents early public relations efforts and technical training films that supported the development of commercial nuclear power and research infrastructure. The U.S. Atom...Core Content
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Nuclear NewsNEW Energy Department Announces $4.2 Billion Investment to Boost Nuclear Power and Help Lower Energy CosThe U.S. Department of Energy issued a conditional loan commitment of up to $4.2 billion to Vistra for nuclear uprates and modernization projects at plants in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The funding aims to add 433 megawatts of capacity, preserve nearly four gigawatts of baseload power, and support thousands of regional jobs. Today’s announcement will deliver more reliable American energy, strengthen the grid, lower costs, and meet growing power demand across the 13-state PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. region. WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF)...Core Content
Core ContentNuclear NewsNEW DOE Office of Nuclear Energy Announces $50M in Funding to Revolutionize Reactor Cladding MaterialThe U.S. Department of Energy has made fifty million dollars in competitive funding available for the development of silicon carbide fuel cladding. The three-year initiative aims to produce twelve-foot cladding rods for irradiation testing in research reactors. This testing will generate the performance data required for commercial deployment and regulatory licensing across the domestic reactor fleet. New advanced fuel technology could lead to enhanced performance and safety of country’s reactor fleet WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy today announced a...Core Content
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Nuclear NewsNEW A startup wants to build a massive nuclear-powered data center on public land in UtahStartup Valar Atomics submitted a formal proposal to the Bureau of Land Management to construct a massive power and data facility in Utah. Project Beehive would combine 456 small nuclear reactors with data centers, fuel production, and waste storage across more than 9,000 acres of public land. The project highlights a new wave of commercial nuclear ventures relying on streamlined regulatory pathways and federal support to deploy microreactors. Producing over nine gigawatts of power, the development aims to test phased mass production of small units, raising questions among local groups regardi...Core Content
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Outage NewsNEW Beaver Valley Unit 1 RFO 31 refueling outage pulled forwardThe utility has revised the refueling schedule for Beaver Valley 1, pulling the 1R31 outage forward. While the date has shifted, the outage remains scheduled for Spring 2027. Readers should consult the NukeWorker outage schedule for the revised dates. Beaver Valley 1 's next refueling outage ( 1R31 ) has been pulled forward in the utility's published schedule, though the outage is still scheduled for Spring 2027 . The revised start date and duration are on the NukeWorker outage schedule. For workers planning to support this outage, the revised window changes the staffing call-out timing accordingly. Check the unit page above for the current cycle status and any additional schedule notes. Want the full picture? Subscribe to the NukeWorker outage schedule for every current and upcoming U.S....Core Content
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Outage NewsNEW Braidwood Unit 1 RFO 26 refueling outage pulled forwardThe utility has revised its published refueling schedule for Braidwood 1, pulling the A1R26 outage forward. The date shift did not leave its original timeframe, and the outage remains scheduled for Spring 2027. Readers should consult the NukeWorker outage schedule for the revised dates. Braidwood 1 's next refueling outage ( A1R26 ) has been pulled forward in the utility's published schedule, though the outage is still scheduled for Spring 2027 . The revised start date and duration are on the NukeWorker outage schedule. For workers planning to support this outage, the revised window changes th...Core Content
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Outage NewsNEW Palo Verde 1 begins Fall 2026 refueling outagePalo Verde Unit 1 began a routine refueling outage on October 3, 2026, starting exactly on its scheduled date. The 1,311-megawatt pressurized water reactor enters the maintenance period following a 1,270-day unscheduled-outage-free streak. Operated by Arizona Public Service, the unit had completed about 93 percent of its typical 548-day operating cycle and recorded an 87.8 percent capacity factor during the 2025 cycle. The 45-day scheduled duration compares against a 42.4-day historical average across 18 prior refuels for the plant. Across the broader U.S. fleet, 94 units operated at an 85.4 p...Core Content
Core ContentOutage NewsNEW Beaver Valley Unit 1 RFO 31 refueling outage pushed backThe utility has revised its published refueling schedule for Beaver Valley 1, pushing back the 1R31 outage to a later date within its original window. The outage is still scheduled for Spring 2027, but the planned duration was also revised to run longer than before. Readers should consult the NukeWorker outage schedule for the revised dates. Beaver Valley 1 's next refueling outage ( 1R31 ) has been pushed back in the utility's published schedule, though the outage is still scheduled for Spring 2027 . The revised start date and duration are on the NukeWorker outage schedule. The scheduled dura...Core Content
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Outage NewsNEW Salem 1 begins Fall 2026 refueling outageSalem 1 began a routine refueling outage on October 4, 2026, starting precisely on its planned date. The PSEG Nuclear plant has a scheduled duration of 50 days for this maintenance period. The 1,153-MW Westinghouse 4-loop pressurized water reactor entered this refueling outage after maintaining a 624-day unscheduled-outage-free streak. Salem 1 had run about 90 percent of its typical 549-day operating cycle following an 85 percent capacity factor during its 2025 cycle. PSEG Nuclear operates two other United States nuclear units, while the broader nuclear fleet records an 85.2 percent capacity f...Core Content
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Outage NewsNEW McGuire 1 completes Fall refueling outage in 29 daysMcGuire 1 began a routine refueling outage on September 5, 2026, concluding after 29 days on October 3. The fall maintenance window ran one day longer than the planned 28 day schedule. Operated by Duke Energy Carolinas, the 1,158-MW Westinghouse pressurized water reactor maintained an unscheduled-outage-free streak of 246 days before the project. The duration ranked as the 13th-longest among the unit's 19 tracked refuels, falling below the historical average of 37.6 days for its 18 prior refuels. Across the broader U.S. fleet, 94 units operated at an 85.2 percent capacity factor while four oth...Core Content
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Outage NewsNEW FitzPatrick completes Fall refuel in 20 days, caps 719-day B2B runThe FitzPatrick nuclear plant completed a routine 20-day refueling outage on October 3, running three days longer than its planned 17-day schedule. The 853-megawatt General Electric boiling water reactor entered the maintenance period following a 720-day unscheduled-outage-free streak. Despite exceeding its initial schedule, the duration remained well below the unit historical average of 28.3 days across 13 prior refuels. Operator Constellation Nuclear manages 20 other U.S. units within a wider fleet operating at an 85.2 percent capacity factor. During the fall project, four other reactors acr...Core Content
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Outage NewsNEW Sequoyah 2 begins Fall 2026 refueling outageTennessee Valley Authority began a routine refueling outage at Sequoyah Unit 2 on October 3, 2026. The fall refueling started one day later than its scheduled October 2 start date with a planned duration of 29 days. Prior to the shutdown, the 1,126-MW Westinghouse pressurized water reactor maintained an unscheduled-outage-free streak of 329 days after completing roughly 90 percent of its typical 557-day operating cycle. Its operator, Tennessee Valley Authority, manages six other nuclear units nationwide. Across the broader fleet, 94 units operated at an 85.2 percent capacity factor, with 12 re...Core Content
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Outage NewsNEW Robinson 2 begins Fall 2026 refueling outageRobinson 2 began a scheduled refueling outage on October 3, 2026, starting six days earlier than its planned October 9 date. The 759-megawatt Westinghouse unit entered the maintenance period following a 1198-day unscheduled-outage-free streak. Operated by Duke Energy Progress, the plant completed a 20-month operating cycle after achieving a 99.5 percent capacity factor during 2025. The historical unit average for 16 prior refueling outages stands at 45.9 days, with the longest previous refuel reaching 112 days in 2010. Across the broader U.S. fleet, 94 units operated at an 85.2 percent capacit...Core Content
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History & TriviaFewer Than 10 American Veterans Who Saw Hiroshima and Nagasaki Are Still Alive. Their Stories Are DiFewer than 10 American service members who entered Hiroshima and Nagasaki as occupation troops in 1945 remain alive. These aging veterans are the last direct witnesses to the immediate human and structural devastation caused by the first wartime use of atomic weapons. For decades, government secrecy orders prevented these personnel from discussing their radiation exposure and observations. Preserving their firsthand accounts provides valuable historical documentation regarding the long-term health effects of radiation on military personnel and the realities of nuclear warfare. American occupation troops witnessed Hiroshima and Nagasaki weeks after the atomic bombs. Fewer than 10 are believed to remain alive. Less than 10 American veterans who saw the Japanese cities after 1945 bombings are...Core Content
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GeneralBest Company you have worked for(priviate or govt)RP- what company(s) 1 do what they say(2)pay and per diem paid without hassle (3) have the best pay rates?W/ DZ / RSCS
Hoghead
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History & TriviaThis Hidden City In Tennessee Held One Of The World’s Most Closely-Guarded SecretsOak Ridge, Tennessee transformed rapidly from a rural farming town into a massive, classified site for the Manhattan Project during World War II. Thousands of workers labored in secrecy to produce material for the atomic weapons that ultimately brought an end to the global conflict. The historic site established strict security protocols and massive industrial infrastructure that laid the groundwork for modern nuclear research facilities. Today, the location preserves its wartime heritage while continuing to contribute to advancements in science, technology, and energy research within the nucl...Core Content
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