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Doe

All articles tagged with #doe

technology20 days ago•18 min saved

Atlas railcar for spent fuel shows lighter axle load, as Idaho readies line for first cask

A 78-foot, 12-axle Atlas railcar built to haul a single spent-nuclear-fuel cask carries about 355 tons when loaded, but distributes roughly 59,000 pounds per axle—lighter per axle than the adjacent 4-axle buffer car welded with 98 tons of dead weight. Idaho is refurbishing its rail line for Atlas’s first shipment, expected in late 2027 from North Anna, Virginia, to Idaho National Laboratory’s INTEC. DOE and rail regulators have issued a conditional path to full approval, contingent on miles of service (up to 100,000) and further testing; the program underscores the logistical challenges of moving nuclear fuel across the U.S. despite the lack of a federal interim storage site.

via Autonocion.com|

#aar-approval #atlas-railcar #buffer-cars

energy28 days ago•6 min saved

Court voids DOE emergency to keep coal plant online

A DC Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously voided the Department of Energy’s emergency declaration aimed at forcing Michigan’s J.H. Campbell coal plant to stay open, finding no proven emergency or shortfall and noting that planned closures and grid-operating processes already addressed reliability. The decision curtails DOE power to compel generation and could reverse similar orders, allowing Michigan to proceed with the planned shutdown and potentially reducing costs for ratepayers while signaling limits on federal intervention in generation facilities.

via Ars Technica|

#coal #dc-circuit #doe

politics28 days ago•133 min saved

Court blocks Trump-era bid to keep Campbell coal plant running

A federal court ruled against the Energy Department’s nationwide order to keep Michigan’s Campbell coal plant open, saying the plan would cost hundreds of millions and was misaligned with retirement timelines. The plant will continue operating under a DOE extension through mid‑November while litigation proceeds; Consumers Energy is reviewing the ruling. Environmental groups hailed the decision as a victory against propping up aging, costly coal power.

via AP News|

#campbell-plant #coal #court-ruling

politics29 days ago•5 min saved

Court curbs coal lifeline as DOE loses emergency-order bid

A federal appeals court in the D.C. Circuit rejected Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s emergency order to keep Michigan’s Campbell coal plant online past its retirement, saying DOE overstepped by intervening in state reliability planning; the ruling favors Michigan, Illinois, and environmental groups and could influence similar challenges to other emergency orders affecting six coal plants; DOE may appeal.

via politico.com|

#campbell-plant #coal #dc-circuit

energy2 months ago•1 min saved

Five States Offer to Host Nuclear-Waste Campuses to Spur US Nuclear Revival

Tennessee, Utah, Louisiana, Idaho, and Oklahoma propose non-binding agreements to host Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses, which would manage spent nuclear fuel and support related activities like enrichment, reprocessing, fuel fabrication, and potentially advanced reactors, aiming to attract up to $50 billion in private investment and $10 billion in tax revenues as part of a Biden/Trump-era push to revive US nuclear power; Yucca Mountain remains stalled.

via The Detroit News|

#doe #energy #nuclear-energy

energy2 months ago•6 min saved

White House eyes shared nuclear-waste campuses, scrapping Yucca Mountain as sole repository

The White House is circulating a draft that would let the Department of Energy partner with willing states to host fully integrated nuclear-fuel-cycle campuses for waste storage, recycling, and related activities, effectively ending Yucca Mountain as the nation’s sole repository. The plan calls for legal changes, a revamped waste classification system, and an interim storage option for reprocessing, aiming to spur nuclear growth and attract new business (including data centers), while potentially restarting disposal fees. With about 95,000 metric tons of waste already on hand and more states weighing proposals, DOE expects to announce campus selections later this summer amid ongoing political and legal hurdles.

via Politico|

#congress #doe #energy

energy3 months ago•9 min saved

U.S. hits milestone as three advanced SMRs reach criticality, but commercialization remains years away

Three U.S. advanced reactors backed by the Energy Department have reached criticality, meeting a July 4 target and signaling progress toward a nuclear renaissance, with Deployable Energy’s unit the third to go critical and Aalo Atomics expected to follow. While DOE touts momentum and the potential for quicker development, experts say commercial deployment could still take years due to licensing by the NRC, fuel supply challenges (HALEU), and financing hurdles, though a proposed rule could speed up regulatory reviews for approved designs.

via Politico|

#criticality #doe #energy

energy3 months ago•1 min saved

DOE Names Kavulla to Lead the Bonneville Power Administration

The U.S. Department of Energy announced Travis Kavulla as Administrator and CEO of the Bonneville Power Administration, tasking him with delivering affordable, reliable, and secure power to the Pacific Northwest; Under Secretary Kyle Haustveit will swear him in at BPA's Portland, Oregon headquarters on June 29.

via Department of Energy (.gov)|

#bonneville-power-administration #doe #energy

energy3 months ago•3 min saved

DOE Unveils $17.5B Plan to Rebuild U.S. Nuclear Supply Chain and Deploy 10 AP1000 Reactors

The U.S. Department of Energy issued a conditional $17.5 billion loan commitment to finance long-lead items for five projects that will deploy 10 Westinghouse AP1000 reactors, accelerating construction by up to three years and rebuilding the American nuclear supply chain. EDF will support up to five loans, each backing two reactors, with each project requiring $1 billion upfront equity ($500M from Westinghouse and $500M from a partner) and letters of intent from potential partners. Final financing depends on meeting technical, legal, environmental, and financial conditions. The move aligns with President Trump’s goal of having 10 reactors under construction by 2030 and aims to reduce costs and timelines through bulk purchasing of equipment.

via Department of Energy (.gov)|

#ap1000 #doe #energy

technology4 months ago•3 min saved

DOE Unveils Roadmap to Fast-Track Fusion Power by the Mid-2030s

The U.S. Department of Energy released the finalized Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap to accelerate fusion energy development and commercialization, uniting science, infrastructure, workforce, and public-private partnerships under a Build-Innovate-Grow strategy to support fusion pilot plants and mid-2030s commercial power; progress hinges on future appropriations and partnerships rather than guaranteed funding, with AI/HPC and strong industry collaboration driving the effort.

via Department of Energy (.gov)|

#commercialization #doe #energy

energy4 months ago•7 min saved

DOE Limits Electrification in Reopened Home-Upgrade Rebates

The DOE published guidance for $8.8B in HOMES and HEEHR home-efficiency rebates, reopening funds but barring funding for switching from fossil fuels to electric heat, requiring insulation/air-sealing upgrades before appliances, and scrapping DEI/Justice40 considerations; states must adjust plans before funds are released, a move applauded by some for efficiency gains but criticized by advocates who say it narrows electrification and equity goals.

via Inside Climate News|

#doe #electrification #energy

politics4 months ago•15 min saved

Private Firms Eye Surplus Plutonium as Fuel for Next-Gen Reactors

The Energy Department has chosen five private companies for advanced negotiations to repurpose surplus Cold War plutonium into fuel for next‑generation reactors, a move supporters say could unlock private funding and spur domestic nuclear innovation, while critics warn it could increase weapons-usable material and revisit a failed 2018 effort. Oklo will work with Newcleo; other participants include Exodys Energy, SHINE Technologies, Standard Nuclear, and Flibe Energy.

via Gizmodo|

#advanced-reactors #doe #nuclear-energy

energy7 months ago•2 min saved

DOE Boots Up $171.5M to Scale U.S. Geothermal Testing and Drilling

The U.S. Department of Energy is awarding $171.5 million in a funding opportunity to support next‑generation geothermal field‑scale tests for electricity generation and exploration drilling to validate promising geothermal prospects. The first round will open with two topics focused on enhanced geothermal systems and hydrothermal resource characterization/confirmation. DOE says the effort could unlock large geothermal potential—up to about 300 GW by 2050—and is part of President Trump’s energy agenda; letters of intent are due March 27, 2026, with full applications due April 30, 2026.

via Department of Energy (.gov)|

#doe #energy #energy-policy

business7 months ago•8 min saved

Beard leads world's biggest energy lender to accelerate U.S. power, grid resilience

Gregory Beard has taken over the DOE's Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF), the world's largest energy lender with about $289 billion in loan authority, and is steering a rapid, results-focused expansion after a Biden-era turnaround that canceled or restructured roughly $83.6 billion in loans to prioritize affordability and reliability. The EDF will focus on six areas—nuclear; coal, oil, gas and hydrocarbons; critical minerals; geothermal; grid and transmission; manufacturing and transport—and aims to deploy a wave of loans (including potentially the largest ever), with EDF able to fund up to 80% of project costs for nuclear. The goal is to boost domestic generation, shore up the grid, and reduce China’s dominance over critical minerals while refinancing or building new capacity to lower power costs.

via CNBC|

#business #doe #energy-dominance-financing

energy-and-climate8 months ago•9 min saved

Cold snap tests US power grid as outages spread

Winter Storm Fern knocked out power for more than a million customers across the South as frigid conditions loom, pressuring the electric grid. PJM projected record winter demand and the Energy Department allowed full operation of grid resources while utilities mobilized tens of thousands of workers; gas prices surged and authorities warned the system could remain stressed through the week amid ice and falling temps.

via Politico|

#doe #electric-grid #energy-and-climate