INL Foundation

Idaho National Laboratory, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Water Power Technologies Office, developed the Hydropower Technology Catalog (HTC) to assist hydropower operators and developers in making informed decisions. 🌊 ⚡ This comprehensive tool helps hydropower experts choose the best turbine technologies, enhancing efficiency, cutting costs and reducing development timelines. Learn more about HTC and how it can support hydropower projects: https://lnkd.in/ebYxp72D

FILL’ER UP: Southern Company just loaded a new higher enriched nuclear fuel into Vogtle Unit 2 for irradiation testing. The four lead test assemblies contain Westinghouse's ADOPT® fuel pellets that are enriched up to 6%. This is the first time a fuel enriched above 5% is being irradiated in a U.S. commercial reactor - allowing for higher power output and less waste generated over the life of the reactor The new fuel was developed through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Accident Tolerant Fuel Program to help improve fuel cycle safety and lower operational costs. Learn more: https://bit.ly/42kGx29

SCIENTISTS COOK UP THE PERFECT RECIPE TO FEED AN ENERGY FUTURE - CRITICAL FAST-SPECTRUM MOLTEN SALT REACTOR After five years of trying to find the right ingredients, scientists at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) believe they have created the perfect recipe to fuel the world’s first critical fast-spectrum molten salt reactor. The Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE) at INL will test a new type of nuclear reactor that uses a mixture of molten chloride salt and uranium as fuel and coolant. This experiment allows researchers and scientists to evaluate the safety and physics of a molten chloride fast reactor that Southern Company and TerraPower plan to build. This type of advanced reactor is an attractive option to provide electricity and heat for communities and industry. They operate at higher temperatures for improved efficiency, potentially reduced waste generation and inherent safety features due to the liquid fuel design. Making this special kind of salt requires a highly valuable ingredient – uranium. The process involves converting uranium metal into a compound that dissolves in the molten salt, forming the fuel.“It’s like baking a cake,” said Bill Phillips, technical lead for MCRE. The key challenge was efficiency — converting over 90% of metal uranium feedstock into usable fuel salt. “Nobody has ever made this amount of uranium chloride before,” Phillips noted. “We had to develop the process from scratch.” It began in 2020 when Phillips and his team began developing the process and equipment needed for salt synthesis at the Fuels and Applied Science Building at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex. It wasn’t easy, said Nick Smith, MCRE project director. “We started out wasting too much of the uranium metal we have access to, and we would not be able to make enough fuel salt for the reactor to go critical,” Smith said. “After years of experimentation and revision, we finally found the right process to reach the perfect yield. “It takes a special kind of perseverance to keep working the problem when there is no guarantee that you will find a solution,” Smith added. Read more at INL.gov

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.

WE ARE LIVING IN THE DATA CENTER REVOLUTION.   Nearly everything in our lives is now linked to the vast architecture of information crisscrossing the planet, including our work, our communication, our banking, and our entertainment. With the rise in data centers has come rising energy demands.   Artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies require tremendous amounts of stable electricity generation, and some reports estimate that data centers could consume up to 12% of total U.S. energy production in 2028. So, how are we going to meet those needs? Nuclear has the potential to be a great partner for the data centers of today and tomorrow: Advantages of Nuclear Energy for Data Centers 1. Nuclear energy provides 24/7 power.  Data centers never sleep, and neither do nuclear plants. Nuclear operates at full capacity more than any other energy source and provides electricity around the clock, day in and day out. The constant, firm power that nuclear generates fits perfectly with the 99.999%+ energy reliability needs of data centers. 2. Nuclear plants rarely need to shut down.  Downtime at a data center can be expensive — over $8 million per day, by some estimates. Current nuclear plants operate 18 to 24 months at a stretch and refueling outages typically last only a few weeks. 3. Nuclear reactors are flexible. Not all data centers are the same. Current designs range from 10 megawatts to 1 gigawatt in power consumption, and future data centers could reach 4 gigawatts or more. Next-generation reactors could meet those power needs with versatile, scalable designs ranging from transportable microreactors to small modular reactors to large-scale light-water nuclear plants. 4. Nuclear energy costs are stable.  Steady prices from power purchase agreements and the long lifespans (80+ years) of nuclear plants give nuclear an edge when it comes to long-term business planning for data centers.   5. Nuclear energy is compact.  The advanced reactors of today and tomorrow will be designed with a small footprint and passive safety features that could allow them to be built alongside data centers, reducing transmission costs. 6. Existing nuclear plants have hidden potential.  Bringing retired nuclear plants back online is one potential way to power data centers without the cost of building a new plant. In September 2024, Microsoft and Constellation Energy reached a 20-year power purchase agreement to restart Three Mile Island Unit 1 to support Microsoft’s data center operations. DOE is working to remove barriers to co-locating data centers with new generation sources like nuclear power, while also providing reliable and affordable energy for American citizens. INL is the National Nuclear Energy Laboratory. Partnering with the INL Foundation and the Idaho National Laboratory can allow a data center to reap tax advantages while accessing some of the best nuclear energy experts in the world. Check it out: INL.gov & INLFoundation.org.

WE ARE LIVING IN THE DATA CENTER REVOLUTION.   Nearly everything in our lives is now linked to the vast architecture of information crisscrossing the planet, including our work, our communication, our banking, and our entertainment. With the rise in data centers has come rising energy demands.   Artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies require tremendous amounts of stable electricity generation, and some reports estimate that data centers could consume up to 12% of total U.S. energy production in 2028. So, how are we going to meet those needs? Nuclear has the potential to be a great partner for the data centers of today and tomorrow: Advantages of Nuclear Energy for Data Centers 1. Nuclear energy provides 24/7 power.  Data centers never sleep, and neither do nuclear plants. Nuclear operates at full capacity more than any other energy source and provides electricity around the clock, day in and day out. The constant, firm power that nuclear generates fits perfectly with the 99.999%+ energy reliability needs of data centers. 2. Nuclear plants rarely need to shut down.  Downtime at a data center can be expensive — over $8 million per day, by some estimates. Current nuclear plants operate 18 to 24 months at a stretch and refueling outages typically last only a few weeks. 3. Nuclear reactors are flexible. Not all data centers are the same. Current designs range from 10 megawatts to 1 gigawatt in power consumption, and future data centers could reach 4 gigawatts or more. Next-generation reactors could meet those power needs with versatile, scalable designs ranging from transportable microreactors to small modular reactors to large-scale light-water nuclear plants. 4. Nuclear energy costs are stable.  Steady prices from power purchase agreements and the long lifespans (80+ years) of nuclear plants give nuclear an edge when it comes to long-term business planning for data centers.   5. Nuclear energy is compact.  The advanced reactors of today and tomorrow will be designed with a small footprint and passive safety features that could allow them to be built alongside data centers, reducing transmission costs. 6. Existing nuclear plants have hidden potential.  Bringing retired nuclear plants back online is one potential way to power data centers without the cost of building a new plant. In September 2024, Microsoft and Constellation Energy reached a 20-year power purchase agreement to restart Three Mile Island Unit 1 to support Microsoft’s data center operations. DOE is working to remove barriers to co-locating data centers with new generation sources like nuclear power, while also providing reliable and affordable energy for American citizens. INL is the National Nuclear Energy Laboratory. Partnering with the INL Foundation and the Idaho National Laboratory can allow a data center to reap tax advantages while accessing some of the best nuclear energy experts in the world. Check it out: INL.gov & INLFoundation.org.

April 9, 2025 ENERGY DEPARTMENT SOLICITS PUBLIC FEEDBACK ON THE CONSERVATION STANDARDS RULEMAKING PROCESS FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL EQUIPMENT The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public input on process improvements relating to energy conservation standards and test procedures for consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment. Today’s action is an important step forward in President Trump’s commitment to bring back common sense to energy policymaking and to increase choice and affordability for American consumers. “This administration has promised to protect Americans’ freedom to choose the goods and appliances that work best for their homes and budgets and end the regulatory overreach of the previous administration,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Lou Hrkman. “Today’s solicitation will help us ensure that regulatory rulemakings for light bulbs, gas stoves, water heaters, and a host of other vital products prioritizes choice and affordability for the American consumer.” This RFI will help ensure that DOE rulemaking is consistent with recently issued Executive Orders and satisfies the Department's statutory obligations in the development of appliance and equipment standards under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. Subsequently, DOE expects to publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes changes to the Process Rule and provides feedback on the public comment received in response to this RFI. Written comments and information will be accepted for 45 days after publishing in the Federal Register.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY TO DISTRIBUTE FIRST AMOUNTS OF HALEU The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today made conditional commitments to provide high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to five U.S. nuclear developers to meet their near-term fuel needs. Energy.gov April 9, 2025 WASHINGTON, D.C. —The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today made conditional commitments to provide high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to five U.S. nuclear developers to meet their near-term fuel needs. This first round of HALEU allocations brings innovative American nuclear technologies one step closer to commercialization and will expand the use of nuclear energy to deliver more secure, affordable, and reliable energy to the American people. “The Trump Administration is unleashing all sources of affordable, reliable and secure American energy – and this includes accelerating the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. “Allocating this HALEU material will help U.S. nuclear developers deploy their advanced reactors with materials sourced from secure supply chains, marking an important step forward in President Trump’s program to revitalize America’s nuclear sector.” Many advanced reactors will need HALEU to achieve smaller designs, longer operating cycles, and increased efficiencies over current technologies, but HALEU is not currently available from domestic suppliers. To help fill this gap, DOE created the HALEU allocation process for nuclear developers to request HALEU material from DOE sources, including material from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). DOE received HALEU requests from 15 companies. For this first round, DOE identified five of those companies that met prioritization criteria, with three of them requiring fuel delivery in 2025. The five companies that received conditional commitments are: •    TRISO-X, LLC. •    Kairos Power, LLC. •    Radiant Industries, Inc. •    Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC •    TerraPower, LLC. The allocated HALEU supports both Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) Pathway 1 award recipients, companies planning to demonstrate in the DOME test bed, along with some ARDP risk reduction awardees – reinforcing DOE’s commitment to our industry partnerships. As a next step, DOE will initiate the contracting process to allocate the material to the five companies, some of which could receive their HALEU as early as this fall. The allocation process is ongoing, and DOE plans to continue HALEU allocations to additional companies in the future. The first round of conditional commitments of HALEU were made through the HALEU Availability Program, which was established in 2020 to secure a domestic supply of HALEU for civilian domestic research, development, demonstration, and commercial use. Learn more about DOE’s HALEU Availability Program at HALEU Availability Program | Department of Energy.

Upcoming Events NSUF Users' Annual Meeting The NSUF Annual Users’ Meeting will be Thursday, March 27, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PT at the MGM Grand Las Vegas Hotel in Room 152. The meeting will be co-located with The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society 2025 Annual Meeting and Exhibition. The event will also feature virtual attendance. Existing and future users are invited to attend this hybrid event to learn about upcoming NSUF program developments and scientific endeavors enabled by NSUF and shared from the user perspective. Learn more and register to attend 2025 Annual Program Review NSUF will be hosting its 2025 Annual Program Review April 14-17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. MDT/11 a.m.- 5 p.m. EST at Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls, Idaho and Microsoft Teams. The NSUF program review will feature comprehensive overview presentations by the NSUF program office, technical highlights from NSUF-supported user access projects, and insights from NSUF stakeholders, including the user community. Register by Monday, March 31 to attend in person or online.  Register to attend About NSUF The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy’s Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) program is a consortium of national laboratory, university and industry partner facilities. NSUF merges nuclear energy research infrastructure with intellectual capital to pair nuclear fuels and materials researchers with cutting-edge resources to better understand how radiation affects existing and proposed reactor materials, fuels and sensor technologies. Through peer-reviewed competitive processes, NSUF users are provided no-cost access to world-class nuclear energy research facilities and assistance with experiment design from experienced scientists and engineers to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced nuclear technology applications. To learn more about NSUF, please visit our website at nsuf.inl.gov

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS: Sarah Neumann, 208-526-0490, sarah.neumann@inl.gov Joel Hiller, 801-597-6030, joel.hiller@inl.gov  Idaho National Laboratory seeks sponsor for innovation incubator to support technology commercialization (IDAHO FALLS, Idaho) – The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is seeking an industry sponsor to invest $5 million to $10 million in a privately funded innovation incubator. This program will combine the power of a national laboratory with private sector commercialization knowledge to unleash breakthrough innovations by finding and supporting promising startups in the areas of nuclear energy, integrated energy systems, cybersecurity and advanced materials. The innovation incubator seeks to provide seed-stage startups aligned with the private sector sponsor’s strategic investment priorities with access to INL’s world-class facilities and technical expertise, which can de-risk and advance their innovations. INL and the private sector sponsor will jointly issue nationwide calls for entrepreneurs and startups to identify American technologies and talent. This effort will develop and narrow into a small cohort of top candidates who will be selected for investment. The incubator provides the private sector sponsor with direct access to a pipeline of innovation at a fraction of the cost of conventional acquisition. Sponsor benefits include: Pipeline to innovation: The incubator delivers a turnkey source of cutting-edge American innovation in the private sector sponsor’s areas of strategic interest, providing valuable new growth opportunities. Technology de-risking: National laboratory scientists and laboratory capabilities that provide unparalleled technical due diligence for identified opportunities and subsequent acceleration of technology advancement, resulting in opportunities that are substantially de-risked. Publicity for advancing American innovation: Partnering with INL adds credibility, goodwill and visibility to the private sector sponsor’s investments, demonstrating viable leadership in technical innovation. Interested industry sponsors can contact Jim.Keating@inl.gov for more information.