Energy Communities Alliance ECA Update December 1, 2020

 

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ECA UPDATE Dec 1, 2020

FEATURED NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY   National Reactor Innovation Center’s webinar features TerraPower, X-energy INL | 11/30/2020   The National Reactor Innovation Center’s (NRIC) second webinar in its series, “What Inspires Us,” will focus on the recent U.S. Department of Energy awards to TerraPower and X-energy to build their advanced nuclear reactors by 2027.   Ashley Finan, director of NRIC, will moderate this 90-minute webinar from 2:30-4 p.m. ET; 12:30-2 p.m. MT on Dec. 2, 2020. It will feature conversations with Chris Levesque, president and chief executive officer of TerraPower and Clay Sell, chief executive officer of X-energy.   “There is a lot of excitement and enthusiasm for these projects,” Finan said. “This is an opportunity to learn more and ask questions.”   The DOE Office of Nuclear Energy selected TerraPower LLC for its Natrium sodium-cooled high-temperature reactor design and X-energy for its Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor design for $80 million award negotiations under the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.   NRIC will facilitate access to DOE’s national lab resources, which can help the companies test and assess advanced reactor development technologies to move reactors from blueprints to reality.   Continue reading >> Follow the latest DOE budget updates with ECA's budget tracker Monitor DOE spending bills, detailed site budgets, and more. Find everything you need to know about the DOE budget here! CONGRESS   House Democrats set to pick new Appropriations chairwoman Roll Call | 11/30/2020   Beneficiaries of more than $1.4 trillion in annual federal funding will find out this week who will be steering the ship as Appropriations Committee chairwoman for the 117th Congress.   Marcy Kaptur of Ohio is the most senior panel member in line for the job. Connecticut’s Rosa DeLauro, who’s second in seniority, has the most impressive list of endorsements. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida is further down the seniority list, but she’s the most prolific party fundraiser.   Continue reading >> NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION   Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact; issuance. NRC | 12/1/2020   The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) in support of the NRC's consideration of a request from Waste Control Specialists LLC (WCS) to continue to store transuranic waste that originated from the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) without an NRC license under the terms of a 2014 order. The 2014 order exempted WCS from the NRC's regulations concerning special nuclear material (SNM). The current action is in response to a request by WCS dated August 24, 2020, to extend the possession time to temporarily store certain waste at specific locations at the WCS Site until December 23, 2022.   Continue reading >> IN OTHER NEWS NUCLEAR ENERGY For Nuclear Energy To Flourish, We Need A ‘Mindset Reversal’ About Radiation (Forbes, 11/24)   INSPECTOR GENERAL Semiannual Report to Congress (Office of Inspector General, 12/1) UPCOMING EVENTS Dec. 16, 2020 New Nuclear Webinar; Virtual Sept. 8-10 National Cleanup Workshop 2021 ECA PUBLICATIONS Read about DOE's High Level Waste Interpretation   Have questions about DOE’s recent high-level waste (HLW) interpretation? Download ECA’s Key Points and FAQs on the issue to better understand what ECA believes are the potential benefits of implementation. ECA's Key Points on DOE HLW Interpretation ECA's FAQs on DOE HLW Interpretation Interested in learning more? Read the ECA report “Making Informed Decisions on DOE's Proposed High Level Waste Definition” at www.energyca.org/publications ECA BULLETIN Stay Current on Activities in the DOE World   Read the latest edition of the ECA Bulletin, a regular newsletter providing a detailed brief of ECA activities, legislative news, and major events from across the DOE complex. Have suggestions for future editions? Email bulletin@energyca.org.    View current and previous editions of the ECA Bulletin at www.energyca.org/bulletin DOE SITE PROFILES  Learn More about Cleanup Sites with ECA's DOE Site Profiles   ECA's new site profiles detail DOE's 13 active Environmental Management cleanup sites and national laboratories, highlighting their history, missions, and priorities. The profiles are a key source for media, stakeholders, and the public to learn more about DOE site activities, contractors, advisory boards, and their surrounding local governments.    Access your community's profile by visiting: www.energyca.org/site-profiles

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