Tom Clements and SRSWatch.org: The importance of Local Nuclear Watchdogs

For Immediate Release.  November 10, 2026
 
Contact: Tom Clements, Director, SRS Watch, cell 803-240-7268, tomclements329@cs.com
Columbia, South Carolina USA
 
 
Plans to Export V.C. Summer Reactor Vessel and Pumps Reveal 
Project to Restart Twin Units May be Faltering;
NRC Export License Application States Ukraine is Recipient
 
Columbia, SC – An export application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission by the Westinghouse Electric Company reveals that plans are being laid to export “One Reactor Vessel and Four Primary Reactor Coolant Pumps” from the V.C. Summer site in South Carolina, where efforts to build two Westinghouse AP1000 reactors failed in 2017, after a decade of construction at the site.
The NRC export application raises serious questions about the fate of not only key equipment at the site but also the status of a secretive effort to restart construction of the two abandoned reactors, according to a public-interest organization monitoring the project. 
See NRC export license application by Westinghouse, October 21, 2026: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2630/ML26302A238.pdf
Plans are currently proceeding under a Memorandum of Understanding between Santee Cooper and Brookfield Asset Management to assess the possibility of restarting the project to finish construction of both V.C. Summer units 2 and 3.  The export license application would likely be for the reactor vessel - in storage - of unit 3, which is far less complete than the project for unit 2 (and which already has the reactor vessel installed).
The export plan likely is likely an indication that contingency plans are being made if project restart efforts for one or both units fail.  Neither Santee Cooper, the state-owned electricity utility which owns the project, nor Brookfield Asset Management nor Westinghouse have yet commented publicly on the export license application, which was posted in the NRC’s on-line digital library (ADAMS) on October 29, 2026.
According to the NRC export license application, the shipment could be on or after April 1, 2028, with a “proposed expiration” date of the license of April 1, 2033.  April 1, 2028 is a day after the day (March 31, 2028) by which Brookfield has to present a “Final Investment Decision” (FID) plan, as agreed with Santee Cooper (formally known as the South Carolina Public Service Authority), for the fate of “Fairfield Nuclear Project” – whether to proceed or not and at what cost and with what technical challenges.  (See Santee Cooper Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), top of page 20: https://www.santeecooper.com/About/_pdfs/Santee-Cooper-2026-Triennial-IRP.pdf)
The NRC export license application, dated October 21, 2026, indicates that National Nuclear Energy Generating Company (Energoatom) in Kyiv, Ukraine would be the recipient of the equipment.  The application further reveals that the equipment would be used for Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5, the first of two AP1000 units sought by Ukraine.  (See Energoatom news release of April 15, 2024 at “At the Khmelnytsky NPP, a project on the construction of Units 5 and 6 using the American Westinghouse technology started.”)
As the extremely heavy reactor vessel was transported from the port of Charleston via a special, articulated train car it will likely have to be transported off the site in that same manner if the transport were to go forward.  It is unknown if Ukraine has a “heavy lift derrick” to lift the reactor vessel off a ship or on arrival at Khemelnytsky (English spelling change) or if it an articulated train car would be available to transport the vessel in Ukraine.
“That Westinghouse has already applied to export a rector vessel from the V.C. Summer site is an indication that plans to restart both terminated reactors are faltering,” said Tom Clements of Savannah River Site Watch, a public-interest group based in Columbia, SC.  Clements spearheaded a successful intervention before the South Carolina Public Service Commission from 2008 to 2017 with the environmental group Friends of the Earth to oppose the construction of the new V.C. Summer reactors. “Westinghouse, Santee Cooper and Brookfield Asset Management must promptly explain why the reactor vessel export application was submitted to the NRC,” Clements added.
Clements found the export license application by searching the NRC’s digital library on others matters and was “surprised” to run across it by chance, he says.
Export of the unit 2 equipment could also take place, as SRS Watch speculated in an August 2025 report: Economic, Technical and Regulatory Challenges Confound Restart of the Terminated V.C. Summer Nuclear Reactor Construction Project in South Carolina.
“I find it of concern that those party to the reactor vessel export have not revealed their plan to the people of South Carolina, who paid billions of dollars for the failed project, with Dominion customers still paying 5.22 percent of their monthly bill for it,” said Clements.
See links to key South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff documents on the 5.22% monthly “failed reactor project charge,” which Clements has asked the PSC to rule that the change must be shown on the Dominion bill: https://srswatch.org/secret-5-22-monthly-charge-for-terminated-nuclear-reactor-project-at-v-c-summer-slamming-dominions-electricity-customers-to-go-on-for-13-more-years/)
“I pointed out in testimony to the South Carolina Public Service Commission on Dominion Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan, the company is listed on the application in a section on “U. S. Suppliers and/or other U. S. Parties to the Export,” said Clements.  “As Dominion has publicly disavowed any involvement in restart of the V.C. Summer reactor project, the public needs an explanation if the company is involved in the component export or not,” said Clements.  The export license application was submitted by Clements for the record of the PSC’s November 2, 2026 IRP hearing.
Concerning export of the old, abandoned equipment to Ukraine, Clements said “Because the NRC has not inspected the equipment since the construction license was terminated in 2019, Ukraine should be extremely diligent concerning the quality of the equipment.  The reactor vessel has been sitting in storage for a decade and its quality can’t be guaranteed by the NRC,” added Clements.  “It is unclear how Ukraine could pay for the V.C. Summer equipment and we wonder if the US Ex-Im Bank could be called upon to finance it, a cost that must not burden US taxpayers,” said Clements.
 
Note: A list of background documents on the Santee Cooper and Brookfield decision timeline with the V.C. Summer units 2 & 3 restart project project can be found here:  
By admin at Wed, 11/11/2026 - 10:18

"Michigan's Palisades Nuclear Plant Restart Date is Still Unclear"

https://www.enr.com/articles/64245-michigans-palisades-nuclear-plant-restart-date-is-still-unclear

Michigan's Palisades Nuclear Plant Restart Date is Still Unclear

By Debra K. Rubin
Credit: Holtec International

November 9, 2026

Despite a multi-week setback related to a mishap in work by Holtec International to restart the decommissioned Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan and regulators' concern about the site’s "chilled" safety environment, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the 800-MW facility, closed since mid-2022, “would be back running” before year-end, possibly as early as Nov. 30. 
 
Wright made the comment at an Oct. 29 visit to the site on the eastern side of Lake Michigan. The firm has not publicly committed to the prediction or to any restart date estimate, with plant spokesman Nick Culp noting that it will happen “when all required work is complete and all applicable U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission requirements and industry standards are met.” 
 
The firm had set previous plant restart dates since recommissioning began in 2025, aided by $1.5 billion in federal funds.
 
The restart would be the first for a commercial nuclear power reactor in the U.S.
 
Axios Pro reported Nov. 3 that Holtec "cut hundreds of workers and reshuffled leadership as Palisades nuclear restart fell roughly a year behind schedule," based on what it said was information from five unidentified "industry sources." 
 
According to what could be determined from the report, Holtec CEO Krishna Singh has taken the added role of president of global clean energy opportunities, with the departure of Rick Springman, promoted to that position in 2023 to be responsible for global strategy, new project development and commercial structures to deploy clean energy technologies, including small modular reactors. Chief Nuclear Officer Fadi Diya has assumed responsibility to direct the firm's small modular reactor program, Axios Pro said. 
 
"The Palisades restart is an unprecedented undertaking involving extensive equipment restoration, plant modifications, system testing, and the rebuilding of a fully staffed nuclear operating organization," Culp said. "At its peak, the project brought together more than 2,000 nuclear professionals, skilled tradespeople and contractors. As significant restoration and construction activities are completed, we are reducing contractor staffing levels consistent with the transition from a major restart project to long-term plant operations. 
 
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He declned comment on restart delay noted by Axios Pro or on the executive shifts, but said that "leadership transitions are a normal part of managing a project of this scale and complexity."
 
'Chillled Environment'
 
Plant fuel loading was disrupted on Aug. 30, after a fuel assembly unexpectedly tilted inside the reactor, although with no radiation release or work erinjuries. After gaining federal approval for use of an alternative method to remove the fuel assembly from the reactor vessel and transport it to a spent fuel pool on site, work completed in late October. 
 
The commission also identified in an Oct. 13 letter to Holtec a “chilled work environment” in the project supply-chain and quality-assurance functions, following a safety inspection at the site, finding employee reluctance to raise safety concerns because of perceived fear of retaliation, even termination. 
 
“It is important for Holtec and Palisades to assess the culture for these work departments, address the causes that created and sustained the chilled work environment ... and take steps to ensure that all staff at Holtec and Palisades are willing to openly raise safety concerns at all levels,”  the commission said. It said it found no violations or major plant-safety risks that would halt or compromise restart.
 
Diya said in a statement that the firm "approached this recovery with the same commitment to safety, technical rigor and teamwork that has guided our work throughout the restart."
 
But nuclear engineer David Lochbaum, former director of nuclear safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists,  who opposes the restart, said the warning letter from the commission was “very rare.” 
 
Holtec, which must submit to the commission by Nov. 13 a safety "corrective action" plan that includes an independent evaluation and management outreach to employees, said it is taking actions as required.
 
Separately, a New Jersey jury last month awarded the company's former chief financial officer $2.1 million after finding it retaliated against him for raising concerns about a draft investment document related to its small modular nuclear reactor fleet, which Holtec said it disputes and will appeal.
By admin at Wed, 11/11/2026 - 10:15

SUN DAY Campaign: Highlights of EIA's Latest "Short-Term Energy Outlook" (November 10, 2026)

SUN DAY CAMPAIGN

(founded 1992)  
8606 Greenwood Avenue, Suite #2; Takoma Park, MD 20912-6656   
301-588-4741;  sun-day-campaign@hotmail.com    
follow on Blue Sky at: @sun-day-campaign.bsky.social

  

HIGHLIGHTS FROM EIA'S LATEST 
"SHORT-TERM ENERGY OUTLOOK" 

(released November 10, 2026) 
 
 
Notable Quote: “Rising U.S. electricity generation [in 2026 and 2027] is met primarily by increasing generation from renewable energy sources.”
 
 
EIA - Electricity/General: “EIA expects U.S. electric power sector generation to reach a record of almost 4,390 billion kilowatt-hours in 2026, up 2.7% from 2025 …. driven by rising demand from the commercial sector and increased cooling needs from warmer-than-average summer temperatures. We expect electricity generation growth will slow to 1.2% in 2027, with forecast milder weather reducing residential demand.”
 
EIA - Renewables: In 2026, wind is forecast to provide about 11.28% of U.S. electricity generation, followed by solar (8.14%), and hydro (5.68%). In 2024, renewable energy sources (including biomass and geothermal) provided 22.49% of U.S. electricity generation. That grew to 23.97% in 2025. It is forecast to increase to 25.74% in 2026 and then increase further to 27.56% in 2027.[see Figure 30 below] (Ed. Note: This is interpreted to mean utility-scale generation and not include distributed solar which could add another 2% or more to the totals.)
 
EIA - Solar: “EIA expects most generation growth over the forecast period to come from utility-scale solar as capacity increases. … We expect the share of total U.S. generation supplied by utility-scale solar plants will rise from 7% in 2025 to 8% in 2026 and nearly 10% in 2027. … Solar … generation [is] rising as a result of an expected 72 gigawatts … of new capacity coming online this year and next.”
 
Electrical generation by utility-scale solar in 2025 increased by 36.07% over that produced in 2024. It is forecast to increase by another 19.80% in 2026 and then increase in 2027 by 19.33% over this year’s output. [see Figure 30 below]
 
 
Electrical generation by wind in 2025 increased by 1.99% over that produced in 2024. It is forecast to increase by another 7.38% in 2026 and then increase in 2027 by 5.25% over this year’s output. [see Figure 30 below]
 
EIA - Hydropower: Electrical generation by hydropower in 2025 decreased by 0.83% compared to that produced in 2024. However, it is forecast to increase by 3.75% in 2026 and then increase by another 1.20% in 2027. [see Figure 30 below]
 
EIA - Battery Storage: Between 2020 and 2024, battery storage capacity increased from 2-GW to 27-GW. In 2025, it expanded to 43-GW and is expected to reach 66-GW in 2026 and 92-GW in 2027. However, pumped hydro storage is forecast to remain steady at 23-GW in 2026 and increase just slightly to 24-GW in 2027. [see Figure 30]
 
EIA - Biofuels: Total domestic biofuels production fell from 1.395 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2024 to 1.385 mb/d in 2025 but is projected to rebound to 1.471 mb/d in 2026 and increase further to 1.556 mb/d in 2027. Fuel ethanol grew from 1.056 mb/d in 2024 to 1.077 mb/d in 2025 and will grow further to 1.101 mb/d in 2026 and then to 1.122 mb/d in 2027. Renewable diesel dropped from 0.208 mb/d in 2024 to 0.192 mb/d in 2025 but is expected to increase to 0.230 mb/d in 2026 and to 0.275 mb/d in 2027. Biodiesel fell from 0.109 mb/d in 2024 to 0.075 in 2025. It is forecast to rebound a bit to 0.100 in 2026 and then to 0.108 mb/d in 2027. “Other” biofuels (e.g., sustainable aviation fuel) expanded from 0.023 mb/d in 2024 to 0.040 mb/d in 2025. They are projected to hold steady at 0.040 mb/d in 2026 and then increase in 2027 to 0.051 mb/d. [see Figure 13 and Table 4d in full report]
 
                                  2021         2022          2023         2024        2025     2026      2027
U.S. solar capacity     61,009      72,248       91,648     123,000    152,00  183,000  223,000
(megawatts)
 
U.S. wind capacity    132,629    141,275     147,600    152,000    159,00   169,000  179,000
(megawatts)
 
SUN DAY Campaign - editorial note: EIA’s latest STEO once again confirms the SUN DAY Campaign’s consistent forecast of the past 3+ years: utility-scale solar capacity should surpass that of wind at some point in 2026. (It now appears to have done so in late spring or early summer.) That does not include additional solar capacity provided by small-scale (e.g., rooftop) systems, which EIA says totaled 63.19-GW as of August 31, 2026 [see Table 6.1 in “Electric Power Monthly”].  
 
 
                                                U.S. Renewable Energy Supply [Figure 35]
(Quadrillion Btu)                     
Energy Source             2021     2022      2023       2024     2025    2026     2027
Liquid biofuels             2.331    2.433      2.659     2.802    2.565   2.710    2.921
Wood biomass              1.989    2.029      1.969     1.920    1.906   1.885    2.005
Waste biomass              0.430    0.412      0.394     0.387    0.373   0.371    0.368
Wind power                  1.289    1.481      1.436     1.574    1.689   1.777    1.781
Solar                             0.627    0.764      0.878     1.100    1.453   1.689    1.945
Hydropower                 0.858    0.869      0.836     0.829    0.843   0.864    0.862
Geothermal                  0.118    0.118       0.119     0.116    0.117   0.117    0.119
 
 
EIA - Nuclear Power: “We forecast the nuclear generation share [of electricity] averages 18% … in 2026 and 2027.”
 
Nuclear power declined from an 18.81% share of U.S. electricity generation in 2024 to 18.38% in 2025 and is projected to drop to 17.96% in 2026 but increase slightly to 18.05% in 2027. [see Figure 30 below]
 
EIA - Natural Gas: “We forecast the U.S. natural gas generation share [of electricity] to average close to 40% in 2026 and 2027.”
 
Natural gas’ share of electrical generation fell from 42.48% in 2024 to 39.93% in 2025. It is projected to increase slightly to 40.28% in 2026 and then drop back down to 39.45% in 2027. [see Figure 30 below]
 
EIA - Coal: “U.S. coal consumption falls by 7% to 419 million short tons in 2026 in the forecast, and by another 5% in 2027. Coal production decreases by just 2% this year, as rising exports partly offset the drop in consumption. Production falls by another 4% in 2027 as consumption decreases and exports remain flat.
 
“Electric power coal consumption, which accounts for approximately 90% of domestic coal consumption, has declined from last year in 8 of the 10 months so far in 2026. The decreases have been driven by significant increases in wind and solar capacity as well as a 9% decline in the average natural gas price in the electric power sector during the second and third quarters of this year. We expect coal consumption to decline an additional 5% in 2027, driven by a 19% decrease in natural gas prices for electric generating plants and further increases in wind and solar capacity.”
 
“We forecast the share of total U.S. generation from coal-fired power plants to decline from 17% in 2025 to 15% by 2027 as 13 GW of capacity is scheduled to retire by the end of 2027.”
 
Coal’s share of utility-scale electrical generation dropped from 28.40% in 2018 to 17.09% in 2025. It will decrease further to 15.48% in 2026 and fall again in 2027 to 14.53% - i.e., roughly half of the level it was at a decade ago. [see Figure 30 below]
 
EIA - Petroleum: “We forecast U.S. crude oil production will increase to 14.3 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2027, a 3% increase from a record of 13.9 million b/d in 2026.
 
“We now estimate that global liquid fuels consumption will fall by 2.0 million b/d in 2026. ... We anticipate that global oil demand will recover in 2027, increasing by 2.0 million b/d on average, as the gradual increase in oil flows and falling prices encourage increased demand.
 
“EIA forecasts that diesel will average $5.03 per gallon, up from $4.49 per gallon in the October forecast, and gasoline will average $3.73 per gallon, up from $3.56 per gallon. … EIA expects U.S. retail gasoline and diesel prices to fall in 2027. EIA raised both forecasts from October because it now expects global supplies of refined fuels to remain tight through the end of 2027.”
 
 
                            Electricity Generation - All Sectors [Figure 30]
                                                        (billion kilowatt-hours)
 
Year    Gas       Coal     Nuclear   Hydro    Wind   Solar    Other   Total       RE-%
                                            
2020      1.522      0.768      0.790     0.284     0.337    0.089   0.027      3.854      19.12%
2021      1.477      0.892      0.780     0.250     0.378    0.115   0.029      3.958      19.50%
2022      1.583      0.826      0.772     0.254     0.434    0.143   0.030      4.074      21.13%
2023      1.700      0.671      0.775     0.244     0.421    0.165   0.023      4.029      21.17%
2024      1.766      0.648      0.782     0.242     0.452    0.219   0.022      4.157      22.49%
2025      1.706       0.730      0.785    0.240     0.461    0.298   0.025      4.272      23.97%
2026      1.767       0.679      0.788    0.249     0.495    0.357   0.028      4.387      25.74%
2027      1.751       0.645      0.801    0.252     0.521    0.426   0.024      4.438      27.56%
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
CO2 Emissions:  
 
EIA - CO2 Emissions: “We forecast U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to decrease by 1.5% in 2026 relative to 2025 and to remain relatively flat in 2027. In 2026, decreases in CO2 emissions primarily reflect expected declines in coal consumption and, to a lesser extent, decreases in consumption of various petroleum products, most notably motor gasoline and distillate fuel oil. Declines in coal-related emissions continue in 2027 but are offset by rising natural gas-related emissions from growth in natural gas consumption in the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as by small increases in petroleum-related emissions from higher distillate fuel oil consumption.”
 
Annual CO2 Emissions [Figure 40]
(million metric tons)
 
Energy Source       2020     2021     2022     2023     2024     2025     2026   2027
Coal                              876       1003     938       776       751       826      771     732     
Petroleum                     2044     2235     2251     2251     2241     2269     2248   2255
Natural Gas                  1653     1656     1748     1764     1790     1813     1818   1862
Total Energy                 4584     4906     4945     4799     4789     4916     4844   4856
By admin at Wed, 11/11/2026 - 10:10

Is it time to rethink Idaho’s involvement with DOE’s Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus?

https://idahocapitalsun.com/2026/11/05/is-it-time-to-rethink-idahos-involvement-with-does-nuclear-lifecycle-innovation-campus/

Is it time to rethink Idaho’s involvement with DOE’s Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus?

State officials should remove the shroud from this entire project. The public has a right to know what our government is proposing, writes guest columnist Jim Jones.

Jim Jones
JIM JONES

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright (center) visits the Idaho National Laboratory
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright (center) visits the Idaho National Laboratory in December 2025. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Wood/U.S. Department of Energy)

Gov. Brad Little proudly announced in July that the Idaho National Laboratory had been selected by the Trump administration as one of five finalists for designation as a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus. 

We were told that if the state was picked as one of the three NLICs, there would be massive financial investment and jobs galore at INL. The only catch was that INL had to take and store one third of the country’s nuclear waste. Little promised that storage at INL would not be permanent. 

There was a short timeline to compete with the other finalists because a binding host agreement with the feds needed to be finalized by Sept. 30. That deadline has come and gone, but we’ve heard practically nothing about the matter since then.

We do know that the Trump administration filed a troubling lawsuit against Idaho on Sept. 11, claiming INL’s water right should not suffer if there was a water shortage in the vicinity. The shortage would be visited upon farmers, fish producers and other water right holders.
 

Word about the lawsuit was for some reason kept under wraps by the governor, attorney general and other state elected officials. The reason for the secrecy is mysterious and concerning. The federal lawsuit is without legal merit, although the lawsuit may have been an indication that Idaho is under serious consideration for NLIC designation.

But then an interesting story popped up from Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The Nuclear News reported that Tim Walsh, an assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, was in Oak Ridge on Oct. 27 to announce a $15 billion nuclear project there, which happens to be another NLIC finalist. 

The project will provide 10,000 construction jobs and many permanent jobs. Participating companies and projects were disclosed. One might wonder whether this announcement means that Oak Ridge has been selected as an NLIC. If not, how does this comprehensive “nuclear energy hub” differ from an NLIC?

Mr. Walsh said that the only thing lacking at Oak Ridge for NLIC designation was where the nuclear waste would be permanently stored. “The last component that we need to solve is really a final repository for the spent nuclear fuel,” he said. 

So, the DOE contemplates that a NLIC designee will need to permanently store its one-third share of the country’s nuclear waste or find another jurisdiction that will. That should be a definite no-go for the state of Idaho. Most of us don’t want a permanent nuclear waste storage site anywhere in the state.

I do not believe we have been informed about the companies and projects that have been lined up for the INL. Idahoans should be told what is being contemplated for INL so that we are not being asked to buy into a pig in a poke. It would be of great interest to see what the needs might be for water and electric power for the various projects because neither are in plentiful supply in the vicinity.

In his initial proposal to the DOE, the governor says on page 14: “Idaho is prepared to identify sources of readily accessible on-site water supplies capable of meeting industrial-scale needs, including cooling systems for reactors and reprocessing facilities.” 

However, it is not clear where those sources are in that water-short area. The wording – “industrial-scale needs” – implies a lot of water. The governor has yet to reveal those “readily accessible” water supplies, perhaps because they do not exist.

Similarly, we don’t know where the electricity will come from for any new projects. It is contemplated that data centers will be part of the NLIC. Since the centers would be on federal land, they would not be subject to state laws. Any data centers should be required by any binding agreement with DOE to furnish their own needs for water and power in an environmentally responsible manner. 

Above all else, state officials should remove the shroud from this entire project. The public has a right to know what our government is proposing as inducements to get the NLIC designation. 

How will the project impact Idahoans and exactly what benefits will it produce? What will be the monetary benefits to, or burdens upon, the state? 

The failure of our officials to reveal the federal attack on Idaho’s control of water resources on federal land is not encouraging. We have a right to be informed about such troubling developments.

There should be public hearings and opportunities for input by Idahoans before any binding plan is locked in by the negotiators. The planning and implementation should be conducted transparently, instead of behind closed doors. 

This is a representative democracy. Our elected leaders should respect that and act accordingly. The people deserve nothing less.

By admin at Fri, 11/06/2026 - 12:20

DOE commits more than $9B to boost nuclear power, including at Beaver Valley plant

DOE commits more than $9B to boost nuclear power, including at Beaver Valley plant

Paul Gough.  Tue, November 3, 2026  
Beaver Valley Power Station and the Shippingport Industry Bridge. Jim Harris/PBT
 

The U.S. Department of Energy is investing more than $9 billion to help increase production of nuclear power at existing plants in Beaver County and elsewhere in Pennsylvania and surrounding states.

The DOE Office of Energy Dominance Financing announced Tuesday it would provide as much as a $5 billion conditional loan guarantee to boost electricity generating at Constellation Energy's plants in Limerick, Pennsylvania, plus in Maryland and Illinois.  It follows DOE's $4.2 billion conditional loan commitment to Vistra, owner of the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station, earlier this month, which will add about 433 megawatts of electrical power at its plants.  Vistra owns Beaver Valley and two plants in Ohio.

The loan commitments are part of the Trump administration's wide-ranging initiative to boost nuclear power in the United States, an effort that is also helping Cranberry Township-based nuclear company Westinghouse Electric Co.  The Department of Energy's billions of dollars in financing to Westinghouse are helping to build new nuclear power plants across the United States.

By admin at Fri, 11/06/2026 - 12:08

Tell the NRC: No Permit to Pollute!

By admin at Fri, 11/06/2026 - 12:05

Uprate loans

DOE announces $10.1B in loans to Constellation, Alliant, for 3.7 GW

Both loan packages could be used to finance uprates at existing generation facilities, which Energy Secretary Chris Wright called “commonsense” energy policy.

Published Oct. 28, 2026
Robert Walton's headshot.png
 
Senior Editor
 

Dive Brief:

  • The U.S. Department of Energy announced $10.1 billion in loans and loan guarantees to Constellation Energy and Alliant Energy this week, aiming to support 3.7 GW of new capacity from nuclear and other technologies.
  • DOE’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing on Tuesday announced a conditional loan commitment of up to $5 billion to finance nuclear uprates and modernization across Constellation Energy’s fleet in Illinois, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
  • And on Wednesday, EDF, which operated as the Loan Programs Office under the Biden administration, said it closed two loans totaling $5.1 billion to Alliant Energy for new gas-fired power plants, energy storage systems and upgrades to existing generation facilities. 

Dive Insight:

EDF manages loan programs with a combined authority exceeding $300 billion, and it is using those funds to bring about a “nuclear renaissance” while addressing issues of energy affordability, according to its strategic plan. 

Constellation’s loan commitment would go toward adding almost 1.1 GW of capacity in the PJM Interconnection and Midcontinent Independent System Operator markets, by boosting capacity and modernizing existing nuclear plants.

“Uprates that maximize power generation ... are yet another example of the commonsense energy addition policies the Trump Administration is embracing,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a statement. DOE has set a 5-GW uprate and restart goal for the U.S. nuclear fleet, and Wright said 95% of that capacity has been identified.

DOE noted Constellation’s planned investments at the Braidwood, Byron, Clinton, Dresden, LaSalle and Quad Cities nuclear plants in Illinois; Calvert Cliffs in Maryland; and Limerick in Pennsylvania.

“EDF’s conditional loan commitment also includes an option to finance future uprate projects at additional Constellation facilities,” DOE said. However, Constellation “must satisfy certain technical, legal, environmental, and financial conditions before the Department enters into definitive financing documents and funds the loan.”

The $5.1 billion in loans to Alliant will go to lower electricity costs and bolster grid reliability in Iowa and Wisconsin, DOE said. A filing by Alliant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday notes separate loans to two utility subsidiaries: about $1.6 billion for Wisconsin Power & Light and $3.5 billion for Interstate Power and Light.

The funds will help add more than 2.6 GW “of new or upgraded power generation capacity” through new “natural gas-fired power plants, energy storage systems, and upgrades to existing generation facilities,” DOE said.

Alliant had previously been tapped by the Biden-era LPO for $3 billion in potential loans to its utility subsidiaries.

The Alliant loan is the Trump administration’s tenth financial close, and the sixth and seventh utility financing completed through the EDF program, DOE said. The program has also announced loans to AEP Texas, Southern Co., DTE Gas and others this year.

RECOMMENDED READING

By admin at Mon, 11/02/2026 - 06:34

For Immediate Release: Wright's Palisades Visit Slathers Icing On A Rancid Cake

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DOE Secretary Wright's Palisades Visit Slathers Icing On A Rancid Cake
For Immediate Release 3:00 pm Thursday, October 29, 2026
 
Contacts: Michael J. Keegan, Don’t Waste Michigan, Monroe, MI, mkeeganj@comcast.net, text (734) 770-1441;
Kevin Kamps, Don't Waste Michigan, Kalamazoo, MI, kevin.kamps@proton.me, (269) 217-6326;
(Interviews with Arnie Gundersen, expert witness, and Terry J. Lodge attorney can be arranged through contacts above)
 
"The Palisades Cake has been baked with: Exhausted Workers; Lack of Quality Assurance; Missing Documentation; Workers Chilled; Operator Exam Failures; Defective Equipment; Inspections Deferred for Decades.  (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright's Public Relations slathering of icing on this rancid cake is a White Wash" 
 
COVERT TOWNSHIP, VAN BUREN COUNTY, MICHIGAN and ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, Thursday, October 29, 2026  ---
Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright visited the Palisades nuclear plant on Thursday promising restart by the end of November 2026.  In 2022, Holtec predicted it could restart the closed Palisades reactor by mid-2024 .  Palisades restart at years end puts them 2.5 years behind what they had projected to the DOE on July 5, 2022 in order to secure $1.52 billion loan.  The state of Michigan ponied up $300 million.
 
"The Palisades Cake has been baked with: Exhausted Workers; Lack of Quality Assurance; Missing Documentation; Chilled Workers; Operator Exam Failures; Defective Equipment; Inspections Deferred for Decades, this is a recipe for disaster"  stated Michael J. Keegan, chair, Don't Waste Michigan.  Keegan added "(DOE) Secretary Chris Wright's Public Relations slathering of icing on this rancid cake is a White Wash. Palisades is in Peril, this is the proverbial 'Perfect Storm' which will lead to disaster".
 
“Once they restart this zombie reactor, all bets are off. They are playing radioactive Russian roulette on the Lake Michigan shore, wasting billions of dollars of state and federal taxpayer money to do so. They are risking a Chornobyl- or Fukushima-scale catastrophe, putting in peril the Great Lakes, the Great Lakes State, and beyond” stated Kevin Kamps, Executive Director of Don't Waste Michigan.
 
Two weeks ago the NRC issued a report on the Chilled Work Environment  that exists in Holtec's Supply Chain and Quality Assurance departments at the Palisades plant, posted here: https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/news-releases/2026/nrc-issues-chilling-effect-letter-holtec

and at https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2628/ML26286A257.pdf

"Chilling effects letters are rare. Very rare." stated nuclear engineer David Lochbaum. 
 
Two months ago the NRC finalized examinations for nine Senior Reactor Operator and six Reactor Operator applicants.  Six applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Nine applicants were issued Preliminary Results letters. Three were issued senior operator licenses and three were issued operator licenses.  In other words, nine out of fifteen failed, posted here: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2628/ML26286A267.pdf (Palisades - NRC Initial License Examination Report)
 
"In the last past two months, Palisades lost control and tipped a nuclear fuel bundle and couldn’t get it out.  Nine out of fifteen licensed reactor operators failed their exam.  And more than half of the people in their quality assurance and procurement departments feel they will be fired by management if they bring concerns forward.  But ironically, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission just gave them permission to begin loading fuel again!" stated nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen.  
 
Arnie Gundersen said "Organizationally, the quality assurance department reports directly to the plant manager. If quality assurance is feeling chilled, clearly the plant manager must be involved in pressuring that department." 
 
"That the people in QA in particular are being silenced is of extreme concern to all of us.  The NRC's criticism of the corporate culture at Palisades is a very serious allegation and I suspect silencing internal critics figures into the excessive speed Holtec attaches to the restart." stated Terry J. Lodge, attorney for Intervenors, Lodge warns  "They're moving too fast and bad things become more possible when there are a lot of unknowns about what will hold and what might not withstand a return of Palisades to power generation."
 
Arnie Gundersen has 55 years of executive level experience as a nuclear engineer.  Gundersen serves as expert witness for Palisades environmental coalition intervenors who are actively engaged at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.  Documents for those legal Interventions available on request. 
 
Please see previous Public Perils at Palisades - Fuel Load Update  posted up at: <https://www.dontwastemichigan.org/HOLTEC.html> Comments and Documents also posted.
 
--- End --- 
By admin at Sat, 10/31/2026 - 03:36

Article on cost - UK Parliament Assessment of Proposed Sizewell Reactors

Though this article concerns the UK, it shows what a real legislative review of the costs of the proposed reactors would require the public to bear. PDF attached. Perhaps all the Governors & others in the U.S. who are pushing new reactors should see this...
 
Sizewell nuclear plant is ‘terrible deal’ for British taxpayers, MPs conclude Parliamentary inquiry says consumers are carrying ‘extraordinary’ financial risk and footing most of the £40bn bill as private investors ‘cash in’
 
By admin at Sat, 10/31/2026 - 03:32

Deep Fission under fire re nuclear project’s costs and safety – PeaceWorks Kansas City

Deep Fission under fire re nuclear project’s costs and safety

Marjorie Reynolds at microphone, with a tech assistant, for an Oct. 8 presentation on the dangers of putting a nuclear reactor a mile deep near a city.

Marjorie Reynolds, founder of Prairie Dog Alliance, speaks in opposition to Deep Fission’s planned placement of a nuclear reactor in a mile-deep borehole in an industrial park near Parsons, KS. A tech assistant is in the photo. Marjorie’s presentation was Oct. 8 at the Tar Creek Environmental Conference at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami, OK. —Photo by Miranda Pelletier

By Ruth de la Garza, contributing writer

Deep Fission (NASDAQ: FISN) shares fell more than 50% following a Sept. 24, 2026, report by Iceberg Research that described the company as a “money pit.” The report alleged underestimated costs, overstated economic potential, and significant regulatory and demand risks. A mile-deep borehole near Parsons, KS, is the planned site for a new experimental nuclear reactor, announced by Deep Fission in late 2025.

Deep Fission graphic
AI-generated image by Lynda Lovon Williams, physicist

Ann Suellentrop, vice-chair of the PeaceWorks KC Board, warned of the long-term dangers of nuclear waste. “Deep Fission is playing with fire. Radioactive waste is forever deadly and dangerous, lasting thousands and thousands of years,” she said.

Iceberg Research estimated that Deep Fission’s electricity costs could reach $148–$289 per megawatt-hour (MWh), far above the company’s projected $50–$70. The report also questioned whether the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) could approve the technology quickly and challenged demand forecasts for the Great Plains Industrial Park in Kansas. Deep Fission rejected the report as “highly misleading.”

Suellentrop also criticized the federal government’s handling of nuclear issues, saying, “The Department of Energy (DOE) has misled the public for decades.” She pointed to what she described as a long history of secrecy, cover-ups, and misinformation.

Deep Fission’s technology uses a nuclear reactor designed to operate approximately one mile underground in solid granite. The company argues that a tall column of water can provide pressure, potentially reducing the need for expensive conventional equipment. The surrounding rock could also offer physical protection, passive cooling, and lower construction costs.

Prairie Dog flyer Casey Carter pic
Prairie Dog says no!–Photo by Casey Carter

However, these potential advantages remain subject to engineering validation, regulatory approval, and successful commercial deployment. Significant challenges include retrieving or refueling a highly radioactive reactor core through a narrow, mile-deep shaft, managing corrosion caused by high pressure and harsh underground conditions, and developing a regulatory pathway for a technology the NRC has not previously licensed under an established framework.

The company must also demonstrate that it can deliver competitive electricity costs, meet regulatory requirements, and secure dependable customers. Until independent evidence validates its claims, Deep Fission faces substantial technical, financial, and execution risks.

“This is not merely a Kansas issue, but a national one, as officials aim to expand the model nationwide,” Suellentrop added.

Critics argue that Deep Fission’s promises could prove financially disastrous for investors and raise serious public-safety concerns. The allegations have also drawn legal attention, with five law firms reportedly seeking investors to participate in a proposed class-action lawsuit.

Whether the company’s technology can deliver on its promises—or whether investors have been misled—remains to be established. The allegations in the Iceberg Research report and any potential legal claims have not, by themselves, established fraud.

–Ruth de la Garza, an award-winning journalist, brings more than 25 years of experience in broadcasting, public relations, and mass media to the PeaceWorks KC Communications Team. Her reporting for regional and national outlets has examined politics, health policy, and community issues across Chicago and Northwest Indiana. Driven by a commitment to public health and grassroots civic movements, she focuses on revealing how legislation affects everyday lives and elevating the stories that matter most to the communities she serves.

By admin at Tue, 10/27/2026 - 22:32

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