Advanced Nuclear First Mover Initiative: Ready, set, grow April 7, 2025 By Donna Kemp Spangler GAIN and NASEO help states fast-track nuclear energy development Eleven governors and their state energy offices are putting out ready-for-business signs to advanced nuclear energy developers under an initiative that taps into experts at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) to launch the Advanced Nuclear First Movers Initiative. The Initiative, directed by state energy offices, is led by state co-chairs New York, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Wyoming, and the participating states Louisiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia. Create public-private partnerships. “By doing so, the initiative aims to reduce the cost of advanced nuclear projects and deliver more power to the electric grid, ultimately meeting growing power needs with firm, abundant power to ensure reliability, affordability and economic growth,” said NASEO President David Terry. GAIN draws on the expertise at INL and across the national laboratory complex to support states at various stages of their nuclear energy readiness. GAIN has compiled a robust resources library that provides information on regulations and advanced technologies and tracks state legislation to inform what nuclear policies have been implemented. “Eleven nuclear-ready states are ready to roll up their sleeves and dig into the details associated with deploying nuclear energy as a group,” said Christine King, director of GAIN. This new initiative builds on the work of the education-focused Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative, launched two years ago and supported by DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, as a platform for state energy offices and public utility commissions to share information and best practices. The collaborative is a partnership between the National Association of Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and NASEO. Both efforts are designed to provide various levels of support on new nuclear energy development, said Kelsey Jones, a program director in NASEO’s electricity program. “The NARUC-NASEO collaborative is designed to foster information sharing and collaboration among various stakeholders in the energy sector,” said Jones. “The collaborative is open to everyone, and currently, 32 states are participating.” The First Movers initiative self-identified states ready to facilitate industry partnerships. About Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) GAIN provides the nuclear community with access to the technical, regulatory and financial support necessary to move innovative nuclear energy technologies toward commercialization while ensuring the continued safe, reliable and economic operation of the existing nuclear fleet. For more information, visit https://gain.inl.gov.
