New England states put differences aside to talk nuclear strategy

[Marlin]

New England states put differences aside to talk nuclear strategy

https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2026/10/02/new-england-states-put-differences-aside-to-talk-nuclear-strategy/

[Core Content]

Energy officials from all six New England states gathered at a recent summit to coordinate regional nuclear power strategies. The conference followed a joint call from regional governors for a unified roadmap to address growing electricity demands.

The states share a single electrical grid managed by Independent System Operator-New England, making regional cooperation necessary for new generation projects. However, participants noted persistent hurdles, including high construction costs, unproven small modular reactor technology, and unresolved federal nuclear waste storage policies.

New Hampshire has sometimes been an outlier among the New England states when it comes to energy policy and goals, but a surge in interest in nuclear power has provided a moment of unusual alignment between the state and its neighbors.

"I've watched the regional level for 25 years, and I have never seen the level of collaboration that's happening, never," said Kerrick Johnson, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Service, at a nuclear policy summit held at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, on Wednesday. "We have a moment here that we have to grasp."

Defining that moment is an enthusiasm for new nuclear energy shared by all six New England governors, whose joint call for a regional nuclear roadmap precipitated Wednesday's conference. In that day's discussions, it was clear that the motivation behind that enthusiasm is as varied as the personalities of each state. But speakers agreed that collaboration will be required to realize the nuclear buildout they desire.

Read the full article at newhampshirebulletin.com:
https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2026/10/02/new-england-states-put-differences-aside-to-talk-nuclear-strategy/