Institutional and cultural changes are needed if advanced nuclear reactor designs are to progress from development to deployment by 2030, the Global Nexus Initiative has said in a report to policymakers. The GNI has put forward ten policy recommendations to enable these changes.

Western Uranium Corporation has signed a letter of intent with Pinon Ridge Corporation to use its ablation mining technology at uranium recovery facilities at the Pinon Ridge mill site in Colorado. The technology is currently being assessed by state regulators.

The US Nuclear Energy Institute has launched three new bulletins of efficiency recommendations to nuclear plant operators under its Delivering the Nuclear Promise, an initiative to improve operational effectiveness at plant sites. The bulletins address supply chain issues and streamlined work management.

Lightbridge Corporation and Areva NP announced they have agreed key terms for the creation of a 50-50 joint venture to develop, manufacture and commercialize fuel assemblies based on Lightbridge's "next generation" metallic nuclear fuel technology.

US uranium producer Energy Fuels Inc has entered into a contract to secure additional quantities of a uranium-bearing alternate feed material for its White Mesa mill in Utah, the company announced today.

EnergySolutions subsidiary ZionSolutions has successfully completed the sixth year of decommissioning work at the Zion nuclear power station with record setting performance, the company has announced. The project is on budget and ahead of schedule.

Exelon expects to achieve "clarity" before the end of the year over the future of its nuclear plants in the states of New York and Illinois, president and CEO Chris Crane said yesterday.

Operators have taken the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant in Nebraska offline for the final time, Omaha Public Power District announced yesterday. The company said in June that the single-unit pressurized water reactor would be shut down by the end of this year.

Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power and Westinghouse have signed a memorandum of understanding on bilateral technical cooperation. The companies hope their collaboration will boost their overseas revenues.

The USA's first new nuclear power reactor in 20 years - Watts Bar 2 - entered commercial operation yesterday, the Tennessee Valley Authority announced.

The first nuclear operators for Vogtle units 3 and 4 have passed their initial US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing examination. The examination is the culmination of nearly four years of training for the operators.

 Preparations by plant operators, rigorous design and operating procedures and a coordinated industry and government response ensured that nuclear power plants in the south-eastern USA were undamaged by the first major hurricane to hit continental USA in 11 years.