Latest news with #IdahoNationalLaboratory
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
DOE Wooing U.S. Firms To Create Nuclear Fuel Production Lines
A look inside the fuel element storage pool in a German nuclear power plant. w The U.S. government has launched an experiment for domestic companies to create and operate commercial nuclear fuel production lines to feed at least three new reactors by next year. The U.S. Department of Energy is calling its new effort to create a private-industry nuclear fuel supply chain the 'Fuel Line Pilot Program.' The new effort was announced July 15 by Energy Secretary Chris Wright. 'America has the resources and the expertise to lead the world in nuclear energy development, but we need secure domestic supply chains to fuel this rapidly growing energy source and achieve a true nuclear energy renaissance,' Wright noted in a press statement. 'The Trump Administration is accelerating innovation, not regulation, and leveraging partnerships with the private sector to safely fuel and test new reactor designs that will unleash more reliable and affordable energy for American consumers.' DOE's invitation to interested U.S. companies took the official form of a 'Request for Application' in the fuel line pilot project. Qualified U.S. companies have until Aug. 15 to submit initial applications to the DOE's contracting office in Idaho. Also located there in Idaho Falls is the DOE's Idaho National Laboratory where experiments are taking place to develop a microreactor in a project called MARVEL that stands for 'Microreactor Applications Research Validation.' Rendering of MARVEL Microreactor. The nuclear fuel line project objective is for companies to product commercial fuel for nuclear reactors using the DOE's authorization process that would provide federal oversight. The pilot project will assist the federal government with research and development as well as a demonstrate what can be achieved. 'Applicants will be responsible for all costs associated with the construction, operation, and decommissioning of an advanced nuclear fuel line, as well as the procurement of all nuclear material feedstock,' DOE noted. Once successful, this nuclear fuel made in the U.S. would 'help end America's reliance on foreign sources of enriched uranium and critical materials, while opening the door for private sector investment in America's nuclear renaissance,' according to the DOE. The DOE's application request specifies that an acceptable advanced nuclear fuel line must have: 'The value proposition for applicants is twofold: DOE authorization will (1) unlock the next level of private funding; and (2) provide a fast track to an NRC license, and hence, commercialization for authorized fuel fabrication lines,' states the DOE's 14-page application request. The nuclear fuel supply chain project was launched to support another recent DOE initiative to spur commercialization of new reactors. In June, Wright announced a new pilot program to accelerate the testing of advanced reactor designs. These operations would be authorized by DOE in locations outside the confines of DOE national laboratories (where current experiments are taking place in sites operating under U.S. government top secret protocols). The DOE is currently reviewing applications from qualified U.S. reactor companies. The agency intends to select at least three advanced reactor designs having 'a reasonable chance to operate' and achieve criticality by next July 4, noted a June 18 announcement for the 'DOE Pilot Reactor Program.' The federal government has embarked on a series of actions to revive nuclear power and expand its role in private industry, while also pushing to develop and deploy energy-hungry AI applications throughout the nation.
E&E News
7 days ago
- Business
- E&E News
DOE picks 4 sites to build data centers on federal land
The Department of Energy said Thursday it has selected four sites to potentially build data centers on federal land, adding to administration efforts to boost artificial intelligence. The sites — the Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Reservation, Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and Savannah River Site — are 'well-situated for large-scale data centers, new power generation and other necessary infrastructure,' DOE said in a release. 'By leveraging DOE land assets for the deployment of AI and energy infrastructure, we are taking a bold step to accelerate the next Manhattan Project — ensuring U.S. AI and energy leadership,' Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement. The department said it would be inviting private sector partners to develop data center and energy generation projects. Advertisement The plan aims to address one of the largest challenges facing the energy sector: how to find enough electricity to support a technology boom and ensure the United States stays competitive with China in developing AI technologies. According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, data centers could consume roughly 12 percent of U.S. electricity by 2028.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Microsoft and a Top U.S. Lab Target Nuclear Red Tape With AI
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Idaho National Laboratory have quietly joined forces to tackle one of nuclear power's biggest headaches: the months?long, millions?of?dollars licensing process. They're using Azure's AI tools to draft the dense safety and engineering reports that regulators demand. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 7 Warning Sign with MSFT. Instead of engineers digging through thousands of pages by hand, the AI solution pulls in all the technical documents, weaves together the right language and spits out a first draft of the reports for the NRC and DOE. It's not replacing human expertsit's taking care of the grunt work so people can focus on refining rather than drafting from scratch. This could be a real game changer. Reactor approvals can stall for a year or more, but if report assembly gets cut down by even a few weeks, developers can move faster on bringing carbon?free power online to meet rising demand. And this isn't their first experiment. Back in 2023, Microsoft, INL and Idaho State University built a digital twin of a nuclear reactor using Azure. If this new AI assistant delivers, it might just become the new normal for how the next generation of reactors gets built and licensed. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Reuters
16-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Microsoft, US national lab tap AI to speed up nuclear power permitting process
SAN FRANCISCO, July 16 (Reuters) - Microsoft and a U.S. national laboratory on Wednesday said they are partnering to examine how artificial intelligence could be used to speed up the process of compiling the documents needed to secure permits for new nuclear power plants. Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab and the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) said they will tap Microsoft's AI technology for generating engineering and safety analysis reports that are a standard part of the application process for construction permits and operating licenses for nuclear facilities in the United States. The AI systems, which have been trained on a huge trove of successful historical applications, will pull data from studies and compile it into complex applications that span hundreds of pages. "It's created for human refinement, so a human can go through each of the sections and, specifically as needed, edit any of the sections, whether manually, or maybe with the help of AI - it's really up to the human," Nelli Babayan, AI director for federal civilian business at Microsoft, told Reuters in an interview. The move comes after President Donald Trump in May signed executive orders to fast-track the licensing process for new nuclear power plants, aiming to shorten what is often a multiyear process into as little as 18 months as AI data centers create soaring demand for energy. The technology could also help with squeezing more energy out of existing nuclear plants, said Scott Ferrara, deputy division director for nuclear safety and regulatory research at INL. Existing nuclear facilities must submit an evaluation of how they might increase power output and apply for an amendment to their operating license. "A plethora of data already exists from about 82 upgrades that have already taken place, and they can just pull right from that (data) and help generate their license amendment request," Ferrara told Reuters in an interview.
Business Wire
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Oklo Selects Kiewit as the Lead Constructor for First Aurora Powerhouse in Idaho
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oklo Inc. (NYSE: OKLO), an advanced nuclear technology company, announced today that it has selected Kiewit Nuclear Solutions Co. as the lead constructor for its first commercial Aurora powerhouse in Idaho, at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Under a newly executed Master Services Agreement, Kiewit Nuclear Solutions Co. (Kiewit), a subsidiary of Kiewit Corporation, one of North America's largest construction and engineering organizations, will begin to support the design, procurement, and construction of the Aurora-INL, with pre-construction expected to begin in 2025 and commercial operations targeted for late 2027 to early 2028. The Aurora-INL represents a major milestone in Oklo's near-term commercialization strategy to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy using proven, advanced nuclear technology. Oklo selected Kiewit through a competitive process that evaluated both technical capabilities and construction expertise. Because a significant portion of the Aurora powerhouse's construction scope is non-nuclear, Oklo can leverage Kiewit's extensive experience in delivering large-scale industrial and infrastructure projects. This approach is designed to accelerate delivery timelines, reduce costs, and uphold standards of safety and quality, underscoring Oklo's commitment to the efficient, pragmatic deployment of advanced nuclear technology. 'We've completed key pre-construction milestones, including site characterization work in Idaho, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and Idaho National Laboratory,' said Jacob DeWitte, Co-Founder and CEO of Oklo. 'Kiewit brings the execution strength and project delivery experience that are essential as we move into this next phase. This is a critical step in helping us build efficiently and deliver clean energy on a meaningful timeline. Advanced reactors will largely be able to be constructed differently than legacy plants, and a key pathway to realizing the economic benefits associated with that is to modernize how we design, procure, and build these plants.' Oklo is uniquely positioned to deploy advanced nuclear technology in the near term, with a U.S. Department of Energy-approved site, secured fuel, and demonstrated regulatory progress that support its ability to advance toward commercial operation. 'We're excited to support Oklo in delivering one of the nation's first commercial advanced nuclear projects,' said Mike Rinehart, president of Kiewit Nuclear Solutions Co. 'As a leading design engineering, procurement, and construction partner with decades of experience in complex energy infrastructure, Kiewit is well positioned to help bring Oklo's innovative vision to life. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to advancing clean energy solutions through disciplined execution, safety, and delivery certainty.' The Aurora-INL is a key part of Oklo's broader deployment pipeline, which includes agreements to supply over 14 GW of clean energy to commercial customers and U.S. government partners. About Oklo Inc.: Oklo Inc. is developing fast fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale; establishing a domestic supply chain for critical radioisotopes; and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert nuclear waste into clean energy. Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant, was awarded fuel from Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted the first custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and National Laboratories. About Kiewit: Kiewit is one of North America's largest and most respected construction and engineering organizations. With its roots dating back to 1884, the employee-owned organization operates through a network of subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Guam. Kiewit offers construction and engineering services in a variety of markets including power;transportation; water; oil, gas and chemical; marine; building; industrial and mining. Kiewit had 2024 revenues of $16.8 billion and employs 31,800 staff and craft employees. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes statements that express Oklo's opinions, expectations, objectives, beliefs, plans, intentions, strategies, assumptions, forecasts or projections regarding future events or future results and therefore are, or may be deemed to be, 'forward-looking statements.' The words 'anticipate,' 'believe,' 'continue,' 'could,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'intends,' 'may,' 'might,' 'plan,' 'possible,' 'potential,' 'predict,' 'project,' 'should,' 'would' or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts. They appear in a number of places throughout this press release and include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, the benefits of the DOE's Voucher Program, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies and the markets in which Oklo operates. Such forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this press release, and current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties. As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, the actual results or performance of Oklo may be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The following important risk factors could affect Oklo's future results and cause those results or other outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements: risks related to the deployment of Oklo's powerhouses; the risk that Oklo is pursuing an emerging market, with no commercial project operating, regulatory uncertainties; the potential need for financing to construct plants, market, financial, political and legal conditions; the effects of competition; the risk that the DOE's Voucher Program fails to produce the expected benefits; changes in applicable laws or regulations; and the outcome of any government and regulatory proceedings and investigations and inquiries. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties of the other documents filed by Oklo from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release and in any document incorporated by reference are based on current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on Oklo. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting Oklo will be those that Oklo has anticipated. Oklo undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
