Core Sector: Electricity/Energy

Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and the National Association of State Energy Officials formed the Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative (ANSC) with support from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2023. The ANSC convenes state utility regulators and State Energy Officials to enhance collective understanding of the unique regulatory and policy questions surrounding the consideration and deployment of new nuclear generation and support peer learning across states.

The ANSC is an initiative of the Nuclear Energy Partnership, a multi-year cooperative agreement established in January 2021 between DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy and NARUC.

NARUC and NASEO members can join the ANSC at any time by submitting an expression of interest to NARUC staff describing their state’s interest in advanced nuclear generation and active state initiatives to consider or deploy new nuclear.

For non-NARUC or NASEO members interested in learning more about the ANSC and joining upcoming events open to the public, please contact NARUC staff to be placed on an email distribution list. 

Resources

Upcoming Events 

Coming soon

Activities

NARUC-NASEO Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative Webinar: Updated Pathways to Advanced Nuclear Commercial Liftoff, October 28, 2024

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The recently released update to the May 2023 Advanced Nuclear Commercial Liftoff Report provides a refreshed picture of the nuclear landscape as the current reactor fleet is renewing existing operating licenses, exploring the restart or extension of plants slated to close early, and contemplating investments in capacity uprates. In this period, major technological, political, and economic developments have also changed the playing field for advanced reactors of all sizes. Julie Kozeracki, Director of Strategy, Loan Programs Office, U.S. Department of Energy, one of the report's primary authors, discussed updates to the report and outlined a vision for the commercialization of the advanced nuclear industry. Hon. Michael Carrigan, Illinois Commerce Commission moderated the webinar.

NASEO-NARUC Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative Webinar: Nuclear Power Plant Uprates, August 13, 2024

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Uprates refer to processes used to generate more electricity from existing nuclear power plants. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved 171 uprates resulting in over 8,000 MW of additional generation on the grid (as of January 2022). As demand grows for clean firm power, utilities and independent power producers are giving fresh consideration to uprates. This webinar will explore the three common types of power uprates, their potential to increase capacity across the existing U.S. nuclear fleet, how plant owners analyze costs and benefits of uprates to come to investment decisions, and the role of state and federal regulators.

Moderator: Alyse Peterson, Senior Advisor for Nuclear Coordination and Radioactive Waste Policy, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
Speakers:
  • Chris Weigand, Senior Technical Executive, Electric Power Research Institute
  • William Orders, Senior Licensing Project Manager, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
  • David Brown, Senior Vice President of Federal Government Affairs and Public Policy, Constellation Energy

NASEO-NARUC Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative Webinar: Facilitating Equitable Community Engagement to Support the Deployment of Advanced Nuclear, August 17, 2023

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State Energy Offices and state utility regulators are exploring ways to support advanced nuclear through programs, policies, plans, and regulations in order to harness the different benefits this innovative technology can provide including decarbonization, resilience, and economic development and workforce opportunities. Key to ensuring advanced nuclear projects are deployed in a just and equitable way is to better understand who states should be engaging with and when, what community concerns may be, and what a community-driven planning process would look like. This webinar provided an opportunity for states to hear from speakers from the government and non-profit sectors and discuss some of the questions and challenges they have around community engagement and advanced nuclear.

Nuclear Energy Partnership Briefing on Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Advanced Nuclear Report, June 22, 2:00 - 3:00 pm ET

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The U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office joined the DOE-NARUC Nuclear Energy Partnership to provide a briefing on the Department's recent publication, "Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Advanced Nuclear." This report provides industry partners and stakeholder with a valuable, engagement-driven resource on how and when advanced nuclear technologies can reach full scale deployment.

Moderator: Hon. Brent Bailey, Mississippi Public Service Commission

Speaker: Julie Kozeracki, Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of Energy, Loan Programs Office

Site Visit to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Framatome in Richland, Washington: In-Person ANSC Launch Workshop, April 25 – 28, 2023  

NARUC and NASEO facilitated a delegation of state members to Richland, Washington on April 25 – 28 comprised of 38 state public utility commissioners, PUC staff, and state energy office participants representing 24 different states. The trip included tours of nuclear energy research facilities at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Framatome’s nuclear fuel manufacturing facility, in addition to an in-person kickoff meeting for members of the ANSC. This visit was made possible by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-NARUC Nuclear Energy Partnership, a cooperative agreement between NARUC and the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy.

Virtual ANSC Introduction Call for ANSC and NEP Members, April 20, 2023

This welcome call was held for all ANSC and NEP members to introduce them to NARUC and NASEO staff supporting the ANSC, provide a summary of introductory needs assessment calls with state members, and a 101-level presentation on advanced nuclear reactor technologies and licensing processes.

Contact NARUC staff for slides, available to NARUC and NASEO members only

NARUC-NASEO ANSC Member Briefing: Status and Challenges of Restarting and Extending Nuclear Generation in California and Michigan, May 2
This meeting is limited to NASEO and NARUC members and invited DOE guests only. Contact NARUC staff for more information.

NASEO-NARUC-NGA Nuclear Site Visit to Knoxville, TN, April 24 - 26
Registration has closed for this activity.

NASEO-NARUC ANSC Peer Sharing Meeting: ANSC State Advanced Nuclear Action Tracker Release and Member Roundtable, January 30

NARUC-NASEO ANSC Webinar: Evaluating Nuclear Waste Considerations for Advanced Nuclear Deployment, September 27, 2023
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NASEO-NARUC ANSC Briefing: Status and Challenges of Restarting and Extending Nuclear Generation in California and Michigan, May 2
This meeting is limited to NASEO and NARUC members and invited DOE guests only. Contact NARUC staff for information.

2024 Nuclear Site Visit to Knoxville, TN, April 24 - 26

  • Registration has closed for the NARUC/NASEO/NGA site visit to Knoxville, Tennessee scheduled for April 24-26, 2024. During this site visit, attendees had the opportunity to tour Oak Ridge National Laboratory nuclear research facilities, participate in an Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative Roadmapping Draft Review Workshop, and connect with NASEO, NARUC, and NGA colleagues to explore economic development and workforce issues related to advanced nuclear. Participants...
    • Learned about the characteristics of spent fuel produced by advanced reactors and prospects for reprocessing;
    • Receiveed an update on DOE’s consent-based siting process, and NRC’s new emergency planning rule; and
    • Heard from experts about relevant emergency planning procedures and responsibilities for local government / first responders.
  • Dr. Robert Ledoux, Program Director, ONWARDS, ARPA-E
  • Jon-Michael Murray, Nuclear Policy Manager, Clean Air Task Force
  • Dr. Catherine Wise, Program Officer, Board on Energy and Environmental Systems, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
  • Kara Colton, Director of Nuclear Energy, Energy Communities Alliance
  • Christine King, Director, Gateway for Acceleration of Advanced Nuclear Initiative, Idaho National Laboratory
  • Jackie Toth, Deputy Director, Good Energy Collective

Participating Members

Staff from the following public utility commissions and State Energy Offices participate in the ANSC:

  • Alaska Regulatory Commission
  • Alaska Energy Authority
  • Arizona Corporation Commission
  • Colorado Public Utilities Commission
  • Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
  • Delaware Public Service Commission
  • Delaware State Energy Office
  • Georgia Public Service Commission
  • Idaho Governor’s Office of Energy and Mineral Resources
  • Idaho Public Utilities Commission
  • Illinois Commerce Commission
  • Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission
  • Indiana Office of Energy Development
  • Iowa Economic Development Authority/Energy Office
  • Iowa Utilities Commission
  • Kentucky Office of Energy Policy
  • Louisiana Department of Natural Resources – State Energy Office
  • Maryland Energy Administration
  • Maryland Public Service Commission
  • Michigan Public Service Commission
  • Mississippi Public Service Commission
  • Missouri Department of Natural Resources
  • Montana Public Service Commission
  • Montana Department of Environmental Quality
  • New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission
  • New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
  • New York State Energy Research & Development Authority
  • North Carolina Utilities Commission
  • North Dakota Department of Commerce
  • Ohio Department of Development
  • Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
  • Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission
  • South Carolina Energy Office
  • Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation - Office of Energy Programs
  • Texas Public Utility Commission
  • Utah Office of Energy Development
  • Utah Public Service Commission
  • Virginia State Corporation Commission
  • Virginia Department of Energy
  • Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission
  • Wisconsin Public Service Commission
  • Wyoming Public Service Commission
  • Wyoming Energy Authority

Funders

The Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative is made possible through the Nuclear Energy Partnership between NARUC and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, in partnership with the National Association of State Energy Officials. NARUC is grateful for DOE’s support and NASEO’s partnership to enable this valuable program.

Partners

NARUC and NASEO recognize the value of engaging with and hearing from private sector, industry, environmental organizations, and other partners throughout this process, and, as such, there will be opportunities for non-NARUC and non-NASEO members to participate in ANSC activities. Click here to learn more.

More Information

NARUC and NASEO staff experts who support these activities: