Parliament backs EU push for small nuclear reactors

The European Parliament backed the development of small nuclear reactors (SMRs) this week, a move welcomed by EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson, who has already called for a rapid turnaround of EU initiatives. Tabled by Slovenian EPP MEP Franc Bogovič, the  European Parliament’s initiative report on “small modular reactors” was adopted with 409 votes in favour, 173 …

Clean energy transition will be difficult, says Higgs, as he unveils 12-year strategy

Plan involves doubling nuclear energy generation capacity by developing small modular reactors The New Brunswick government has laid out a strategy for how it broadly plans to ramp up capacity for renewable and nuclear energy generation, while reducing the province’s reliance on diesel and oil. But the 12-year plan unveiled Wednesday falls short of putting a …

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs measure lifting Illinois’ moratorium on new nuclear power plants

A nearly four-decade moratorium on the construction of nuclear plants in Illinois will end next year under a measure signed Friday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who vetoed an earlier version of the bill. Legislators passed a new iteration of the bill last month that addressed concerns Pritzker raised in an August veto message about the size …

Six SMR power plants approved in Poland

Poland’s Ministry of Climate and Environment has issued decisions-in-principle for the construction of power plants based on GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) at six locations. A total of 24 BWRX-300 reactors are planned at the sites. In mid-April, Orlen Synthos Green Energy (OSGE) announced it had shortlisted seven locations in Poland …

At COP28, U.S., Canada, France, Japan, and UK Announce Plans to Mobilize $4.2 Billion for Reliable Global Nuclear Energy Supply Chain

Leaders from the United States, Canada, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom today announced plans to mobilize $4.2 billion in government-led investments to develop a secure, reliable global nuclear energy supply chain. These investments will enhance uranium enrichment and conversion capacity over the next three years and establish a resilient global uranium supply market free …

Russian Uranium Import Ban Teed Up for US House Floor Vote

Legislation that would bar the import of enriched Russian uranium into the US has been teed up for a vote in the US House of Representatives. The Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act, by Washington Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, has been scheduled for consideration next week under an expedited procedure that requires two-thirds majority to pass, …

Nuclear’s share of world power output at multi-decade low – report

 Global electricity production from nuclear energy dropped by 4% last year from 2021, with the technology’s share of gross electricity generation falling to its lowest since the 1980s, an industry report showed on Wednesday. Nuclear energy generated 2,546 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity worldwide last year, accounting for 9.2% of total gross electricity generation, the annual …