Advanced and small modular reactors developers must integrate cybersecurity right from the start of the design phase, and the Energy Department's Cyber-Informed Engineering program makes this possible by incorporating security requirements directly into engineering workflows and operational architectures, industry leaders and researchers said at an Idaho National Laboratory summit. Discussions also centered on supply chain vulnerabilities, threats from unmanned aerial systems threats and the need for a more reliable HALEU fuel supply. INL experts proposed creating a public-private national coordinating hub to streamline testing infrastructure, harmonize standards and accelerate secure A/SMR deployment.

At the University of South Carolina Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing's second annual nuclear summit, state officials and industry executives said South Carolina is well positioned to take a leading role in the next phase of US nuclear development. Santee Cooper and Brookfield Asset Management detailed plans to complete the two unfinished VC Summer reactors, while PwC presented findings showing the project would generate $7.3 billion in economic activity and 7,300 jobs during construction, followed by $1.6 billion in annual economic output and 2,700 jobs over the reactors' 80-year operating life.

Three years after the launch of ChatGPT, the AI industry is grappling with the reality of electricity demand, with some influential voices questioning the need for unlimited expansion of large language models. In this episode of the Open Circuit podcast, the team welcomes former FERC Commissioner Allison Clements, Dawn Owens of Fervo Energy and other guests to discuss the tension between the rapid iteration of AI and the long-term investment cycles of the power system.

During oral arguments in a case testing whether presidents can dismiss leaders of independent agencies at will, the Supreme Court's conservative bloc appeared open to weakening long-standing removal protections. Such a ruling would upend nearly a century of precedent and affect bodies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Liberal justices warned that dismantling those safeguards would undermine agency independence and disrupt the constitutional balance of powers.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has approved a proposal to partner with national laboratories, Southern California Edison, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy to address spent nuclear fuel at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. The proposal requires staff to return within 90 days with recommendations, projected costs, and funding possibilities.