IAEA Top News

• Moldova Advances Efforts to Address Childhood and Other Cancers
  A review by IAEA and partners has found that Moldova has taken significant steps to tackle childhood and other cancers and set out recommendations to strengthen services for vulnerable populations as the country prepares its National Cancer Control Programme 2026–2030.  
  
• Update 340 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine
  
  
• Call for Abstracts: Sixth International Conference on Nuclear Power Plant Life Management
  Interested contributors now have until 1 May 2026 to submit abstracts for the Sixth International Conference on Nuclear Power Plant Life Management (PLiM 6), to be held from 7 to 11 December 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. 
  
• IAEA Concludes Long Term Operational Safety Review of South Africa’s SAFARI-1 Research Reactor
  
  
• IAEA and OCP Group Launch Partnership to Strengthen Global Food Security and Soil Health
  
  
• Update 339 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine
  
  
• IAEA Mission Sees Strong Regulatory Leadership and Safety Commitment in Japan, Recommends Further Improvements
  
  
• IAEA-Led Mission Conducts Marine Environmental Sampling Near Fukushima Daiichi to Support Ongoing Monitoring
  
  
• Nuclear Science and Technology Delivers Hope to Cancer Patients Around the World
  Cancer is a major global public health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where nearly 70% of cancer-related deaths occur and access to specialized care is limited.  
  
• Five Key IAEA Publications to Watch in 2026
  
  
• IAEA Mission Finds Comprehensive Regulatory Framework for Nuclear and Radiation Safety in Ireland
  
  
• IAEA Director General's Introductory Statement to the Board of Governors
  (As prepared for delivery) The conflict in Ukraine is about to enter its fifth year. It continues to pose the world’s biggest threat to nuclear safety. 
  
• Panama Advances National Cancer Control Through Joint IAEA Mission
  A team of international experts led by the IAEA identified opportunities to strengthen specialized oncology training and enhance coordination in Panama’s health sector, following a weeklong imPACT Review mission in the country coordinated by the Panamanian Ministry of Health.  
  
• IAEA and International Financial Institutions Move Nuclear Partnership from Diplomacy to Delivery
  The IAEA and the World Bank Group – along with other international financial institutions (IFIs) and multilateral development banks (MDBs) – have taken an important step forward in shifting their collaboration from diplomacy to concrete delivery, as the IAEA deepens its
  
• Five Reasons the Clean Energy Transition Needs Nuclear Power
  Nuclear energy provides access to clean, reliable and affordable electricity. It accounts for around 9% of global electricity and 25% of all low-carbon electricity without emitting greenhouse gases at the point of generation.
  

IAEA Fukushima Status Reports

• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 10 February 2026
  
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 21 January 2026
  On 21 January 2026, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during October, which
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 14 November 2025
  On 17 November 2025, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during September, w
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 14 November 2025
  On 17 November 2025, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during August, which
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 31 October 2025
  On 5 November 2025, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during July, which t
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 31 October 2025
  On 5 November 2025, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during June, which th
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 1 October 2025
  The Japanese Government has provided the IAEA with a report that summarizes the events and highlights the progress related to recovery operations at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 27 August 2025
  On 28 August 2025, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during May, whic
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 8 July 2025
  On 16 July 2025, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during April, whi
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 8 July 2025
  On 16 July 2025, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during March, whic
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 9 June 2025
  On 19 June 2025, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during February, w
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 16 June 2025
  On 19 June 2025, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during January, w
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 16 June 2025
  On 19 June 2025, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during December, w
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 21 February 2025
  On 21 February 2025, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during November, which the Ministr
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 1 February 2025
  On 1 February 2025, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during October, which the Ministry
  

Union of Concerned Scientists

• Cleaner, More Affordable Power for Illinois
  Cleaner, More Affordable Power for Illinois 2026 Omari Spears Tue, 01/13/2026 - 11:42 Read blog post
  
• More Solar for Michigan
  More Solar for Michigan 2025 Omari Spears Mon, 12/15/2025 - 11:16 Read blog post
  
• Scientific Societies Unite
  Scientific Societies Unite 2025 chris bliss Fri, 12/05/2025 - 11:37 Read the letter
  
• Trump Administration Backs Off Attacks on NOAA
  Trump Administration Backs Off Attacks on NOAA 2025 chris bliss Fri, 12/05/2025 - 09:55 Read more
  
• UCS Provides the Science in Major Legal Opinion
  UCS Provides the Science in Major Legal Opinion 2025 chris bliss Fri, 12/05/2025 - 09:39 Get the story
  
• New CA Laws Reflect Years of UCS Work
  New CA Laws Reflect Years of UCS Work 2025 Omari Spears Wed, 09/24/2025 - 14:53 Read press release
  
• Historic Win for Survivors of Radiation Exposure
  Historic Win for Survivors of Radiation Exposure 2025 Omari Spears Tue, 07/22/2025 - 10:45 Read blog
  
• UCS Science, Advocacy Help Secure Clean Energy in Maine
  UCS Science, Advocacy Help Secure Clean Energy in Maine 2025 Omari Spears Mon, 06/30/2025 - 12:58 Read blog post
  
• Nuclear Security Agency Responds To UCS Scientist's Concerns
  Nuclear Security Agency Responds To UCS Scientist's Concerns 2025 Omari Spears Mon, 01/13/2025 - 13:03 Read press release
  
• Millions of Midwesterners Benefit from Milestone Clean Energy Investment
  Millions of Midwesterners Benefit from Milestone Clean Energy Investment 2024 Omari Spears Thu, 12/12/2024 - 15:36 Read press release
  

Nuclear Energy News -- ScienceDaily

• Physicists solve a quantum mystery that stumped scientists for decades
  Physicists at Heidelberg University have developed a new theory that finally unites two long-standing and seemingly incompatible views of how exotic particles behave inside quantum matter. In some cases, an impurity moves through a sea of particles and forms a quasiparticle known as a Fermi polaron; in others, an extremely heavy impurity freezes in place and disrupts the entire...
  
• Dark matter could be masquerading as a black hole at the Milky Way’s core
  Astronomers propose that an ultra-dense clump of exotic dark matter could be masquerading as the powerful object thought to anchor our galaxy, explaining both the blistering speeds of stars near the center and the slower, graceful rotation of material far beyond. This dark matter structure would have a compact core that pulls on nearby stars like a black hole, surrounded by a b...
  
• Scientists just mapped the hidden structure holding the Universe together
  Astronomers have produced the most detailed map yet of dark matter, revealing the invisible framework that shaped the Universe long before stars and galaxies formed. Using powerful new observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the research shows how dark matter gathered ordinary matter into dense regions, setting the stage for galaxies like the Milky Way and ev...
  
• Scientists are hunting for a forbidden antimatter transformation
  MACE is a next-generation experiment designed to catch muonium transforming into its antimatter twin, a process that would rewrite the rules of particle physics. The last search for this effect ended more than two decades ago, and MACE plans to leap far beyond it using cutting-edge beams, targets, and detectors. A discovery would point to entirely new forces or particles operat...
  
• Scientists discover hidden geometry that bends electrons like gravity
  Researchers have discovered a hidden quantum geometry inside materials that subtly steers electrons, echoing how gravity warps light in space. Once thought to exist only on paper, this effect has now been observed experimentally in a popular quantum material. The finding reveals a new way to understand and control how materials conduct electricity and interact with light. It co...
  
• New catalyst makes plastic upcycling 10x more efficient than platinum
  Scientists are finding new ways to replace expensive, scarce platinum catalysts with something far more abundant: tungsten carbide. By carefully controlling how tungsten carbide’s atoms are arranged at extremely high temperatures, researchers discovered a specific form that can rival platinum in key chemical reactions, including turning carbon dioxide into useful fuels an...
  
• Inside the mysterious collapse of dark matter halos
  Physicists have unveiled a new way to simulate a mysterious form of dark matter that can collide with itself but not with normal matter. This self-interacting dark matter may trigger a dramatic collapse inside dark matter halos, heating and densifying their cores in surprising ways. Until now, this crucial middle ground of behavior was nearly impossible to model accurately. The...
  
• New research challenges the cold dark matter assumption
  Dark matter, one of the Universe’s greatest mysteries, may have been born blazing hot instead of cold and sluggish as scientists long believed. New research shows that dark matter particles could have been moving near the speed of light shortly after the Big Bang, only to cool down later and still help form galaxies. By focusing on a chaotic early era known as post-inflat...
  
• Physicists thought this mystery particle could explain everything. See what happened
  Scientists at Fermilab’s MicroBooNE experiment have ruled out the existence of the elusive sterile neutrino, a particle proposed for decades to explain puzzling neutrino behavior. Their high-precision measurements showed neutrinos behaving exactly as expected—without any sign of a hidden fourth type. While this closes off a popular theory, it marks a turning point f...
  
• An old jeweler’s trick could change nuclear timekeeping
  A team of physicists has discovered a surprisingly simple way to build nuclear clocks using tiny amounts of rare thorium. By electroplating thorium onto steel, they achieved the same results as years of work with delicate crystals — but far more efficiently. These clocks could be vastly more precise than current atomic clocks and work where GPS fails, from deep space to u...
  
• Scientists are closing in on the Universe’s biggest mystery
  Nearly everything in the universe is made of mysterious dark matter and dark energy, yet we can’t see either of them directly. Scientists are developing detectors so sensitive they can spot particle interactions that might occur once in years or even decades. These experiments aim to uncover what shapes galaxies and fuels cosmic expansion. Cracking this mystery could tran...
  
• Scientists tried to break Einstein’s speed of light rule
  Einstein’s claim that the speed of light is constant has survived more than a century of scrutiny—but scientists are still daring to test it. Some theories of quantum gravity suggest light might behave slightly differently at extreme energies. By tracking ultra-powerful gamma rays from distant cosmic sources, researchers searched for tiny timing differences that cou...
  
• China’s “artificial sun” just broke a fusion limit scientists thought was unbreakable
  Researchers using China’s “artificial sun” fusion reactor have broken through a long-standing density barrier in fusion plasma. The experiment confirmed that plasma can remain stable even at extreme densities if its interaction with the reactor walls is carefully controlled. This finding removes a major obstacle that has slowed progress toward fusion ignition....
  
• Two unstable atoms are rewriting neutron star explosions
  Scientists have precisely measured two unstable atomic nuclei that play a crucial role in explosive X-ray bursts on neutron stars. The results reveal faster nuclear reactions than previously thought, reshaping how we understand element formation in extreme cosmic environments.
  
• Fusion reactors may create dark matter particles
  Researchers say fusion reactors might do more than generate clean energy—they could also create particles linked to dark matter. A new theoretical study shows how neutrons inside future fusion reactors could spark rare reactions that produce axions, particles long suspected to exist but never observed. The work revisits an idea teased years ago on The Big Bang Theory, whe...
  

Atomic Insights

• Atomic Show #339 – Greyson Buckingham, CEO Disa Technologies
  Abandoned uranium mine waste has been a big deal for decades, but almost no one had an inkling about what we should do to solve the problem. The scale of the challenge is huge, with various estimates ranging between 1 and 8 billion tons of uranium mining waste rock spread over more than 10,000 sites,...
  
• Atomic Show #338 – Craig Bealmear, CFO Oklo
  Oklo is rapidly becoming a household name, at least among households with members who pay attention to energy industry developments and/or the headliners in the financial press. Oklo is in the process of designing and permitting a family of small modular reactors that it plans to own and operate to produce electricity, heat and isotopes...
  
• How Did the MOX Project Get So Expensive? [Redux]
  Plutonium, a source of nuclear reactor fuels with incredible potential, is getting a new look. President Trump’s Executive Order 14302, Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base (May 23, 2025), directed the Executive Branch to strengthen the U.S. nuclear fuel cycle. Though plutonium reuse is mentioned several times, paragraph 3(c) specifically pertains to using surplus m...
  
• Atomic Show #337 – Leigh Curyer, CEO NexGen Energy
  NexGen Energy is a uranium mining company that is nearing the end of a long transition from a successful exploration entity to a uranium producing company. The company is in the final stages of hearings and approvals needed from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to allow it to begin constructing the mine infrastructure for its...
  
• Atomic Show #336 – Isabelle Boemeke, Author Rad Future
  
  
• Atomic Show #335 – Dr. Hash Hashemian, President American Nuclear Society
  Dr. Hash Hashemian has been an inspiring leader in the nuclear industry for half a century. He was recently inaugurated as the President of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) after serving for a year as the Vice President/President Elect. His company, AMS Corporation, provides key services and products to nearly every nuclear power plant in...
  
• Surest way to crush nuclear power’s growing momentum would be to decapitate the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
  
  
• Atomic Show #334 – Jonathan Nistor, COO Blue Wave AI Labs
  Blue Wave AI Labs has been creating and supplying artificial intelligence tools – mainly in the form of machine learning – to operating nuclear power plants since 2016. Their initial set of tools focused on improving boiling water reactor core reload designs. The company was formed to address the chosen problem because it was a...
  
• New York’s next nuclear plant is likely to be a four unit BWRX-300 installation
  On June 23, New York’s Governor Hochul announced that she had directed the New York Power Authority to build a new nuclear energy facility with at least 1 GWe of capacity. During the announcement speech, she provided several bits of information leading to an informed prediction that the facility will initially include 4 BWRX-300’s on...
  
• Atomic Show #333 – Kurt Terrani, CEO Standard Nuclear
  Standard Nuclear emerged from the start-up stealth mode in early June 2025 with the announcement of successfully raising $42 million from a group of venture capitalist led by  Decisive Point with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, Washington Harbour Partners, Welara, Fundomo and Crucible Capital. Though Standard Nuclear is young enou...
  
• Atomic Show #332 – Thomas Jam Pedersen, CEO Copenhagen Atomics
  Copenhagen Atomics is an ambitious Danish company with a bold, potentially world-changing vision. They’re driven by a goal of manufacturing one reactor per day from a high quality, certified factory. If they achieve that goal, they would be adding an additional 37 GW/year of heat to the global energy supply. They want to help make...
  
• Accelerating Nuclear Using The Bully Pulpit
  Part 2 – Changing Culture and Reducing Uncertainty President Trump signed five Executive Orders on May 23 that are designed to accelerate the process of unleashing nuclear energy’s incredible potential. Those orders build on strong and growing public support as well as recently enacted, strongly bipartisan laws that have made it abundantly clear that America...
  
• Using the bully pulpit to energize the atomic energy industry
  Part 1. Addressing the nuclear waste issue Nuclear power has been steadily regaining its political and public popularity for about a decade and a half. A number of new laws, head of state actions and international commission decisions have made it clear that nuclear energy’s reliability, contributions to economic growth, safety and cleanliness are valuable...
  
• Atomic Show #331 – Caleb Brooks, Kronos MMR Project lead for University of Illinois
  The University of Illinois-Urbana Champagne (UIUC) is planning to build a uniquely capable micro reactor project on its campus. For decades, the university hosted a traditional research reactor that supported important research projects and provided operating experience. But, like the majority of university research reactors, it did not produce any useful heat or electricity. K...
  
• Atomic Show #330 – Joe Klecha, CNO The Nuclear Company (TNC)
  The Nuclear Company (TNC) describes itself as “a fleet-scale American nuclear deployment company.” TNC is a young, visionary company driven by what business author Jim Collins describes as a BHAG – “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” – in his best-selling book titled Built To Last. TNC’s intermediate goal is to deploy 6 large nuclear reactors in...
  

Energy News

• Energy Department Announces 26 Genesis Mission Science and Technology Challenges to Accelerate AI-Enabled American Innovation and Leadership
  The U.S. Department of Energy today announced 26 science and technology challenges of national importance to advance the Genesis Mission and accelerate innovation and discovery through artificial intelligence (AI).
  
• Secretary Wright Delivers Remarks Alongside Interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez
  U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright delivered remarks today alongside Interim President Delcy Rodriguez after meetings at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas.
  
• Energy Department Announces $175 Million to Modernize Coal Plants, Keeping Affordable Reliable Power Online for Americans
  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $175 million in funding for six projects to modernize, retrofit, and extend the useful life of coal-fired power plants that serve rural and remote communities across the United States.
  
• Secretary Wright Arrives in Caracas to Further President Trump's Historic Energy Deal
  U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright arrived in Caracas earlier this morning to advance President Trump's mission to restore prosperity, safety, and security for Venezuela, the United States, and the entire Western Hemisphere.
  
• Energy Secretary Continues to Strengthen Puerto Rico's Energy Grid with Renewed Orders
  The U.S. Department of Energy today renewed two emergency orders to further strengthen Puerto Rico’s electric grid as the island prepares for rising energy demand and the 2026 hurricane season.
  
• Energy Department Awardee to Build First American Aluminum Smelter Since 1980
  U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today joined executives of Century Aluminum to celebrate progress toward constructing a primary aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma—a project supported through a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.
  
• Energy Department Launches Genesis Mission Consortium to Accelerate AI-Driven Scientific Discovery and American innovation
  New initiative positions the U.S. at the forefront of AI-enabled discovery and innovation.
  
• FACT SHEET: Energy Department Prevented Blackouts & Saved American Lives During Winter Storms
  Reversing The Biden Administration’s Energy Subtraction Agenda to Rebuild America’s Energy Security
  
• Energy Department Announces Members of the Office of Science Advisory Committee, Strengthening Gold Standard Science in America
  The U.S. Department of Energy today announced the chair and members of the newly established Office of Science Advisory Committee, a unified advisory body that will provide independent advice on complex scientific and technical challenges across the Department’s Office of Science.
  
• Energy Secretary Secures Florida’s Grid During Prolonged Cold Snap
  Secretary Wright issued seven emergency orders over the weekend to stabilize Florida’s grid and lower costs ahead of prolonged cold temperatures.
  

Today in Energy

• U.S. natural gas production to reach record highs in 2026 and 2027
  We forecast that U.S. natural gas marketed production will increase by 2% to average 120.8 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2026 and then further increase to a record-high 122.3 Bcf/d in 2027 in our latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). Around 69% of forecast production over the next two years comes from the Appalachia, Haynesville, and Permian regions.
  
• Many states slightly increased their taxes and fees on gasoline in the past year
  State taxes and fees on motor gasoline as of January 1, 2026, ranged from a high of 70.9 cents per gallon (c/gal) in California to a low of 9.0 c/gal in Alaska. State gasoline taxes averaged 33.5 c/gal across states, a slight increase from their average last year.
  
• EIA forecasts lower oil prices in 2026 and 2027 due to persistent stock builds
  We forecast that production of petroleum and other liquids will continue to exceed global demand, which results in Brent crude oil prices falling from an average of $69 per barrel (b) in 2025 to $58/b in 2026 and $53/b in 2027. Crude oil prices tend to decrease as global petroleum stocks increase. Persistently high implied global oil inventory builds in the near-term are puttin...
  
• Electric vehicle sales fell as hybrid vehicle sales continued to rise in 2025
  About 22% of light-duty vehicles sold in 2025 in the United States were hybrid, battery electric, or plug-in hybrid vehicles, up from 20% in 2024. Among those categories, hybrid electric vehicles have continued to gain market share while battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles decreased, according to estimates from Omdia. In the second half of 2025, battery electr...
  
• Record natural gas stock withdrawals during week ending January 30, 2026
  Working natural gas stocks fell 360 billion cubic feet (Bcf) in the Lower 48 states for the week ending January 30, 2026, amid Winter Storm Fern-the largest weekly net withdrawal reported in the history of the Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report. The withdrawal exceeded the five-year average for the same week by 89% (170 Bcf). The large withdrawals resulted from increased heating...
  
• U.S. wholesale day-ahead electricity prices rose in 2025 with higher natural gas prices
  Average wholesale day-ahead electricity prices at most major trading hubs in the Lower 48 states were higher in 2025 than in 2024, driven largely by higher natural gas prices to electric generators. The largest increase in price was $29 per megawatthour (MWh) in New England's Independent System Operator (ISO-NE), and the largest decrease was $14/MWh in the upper Northwest's Mid...
  
• New transmission line connecting Hydro-Quebec to ISO-NE begins commercial operations
  Over the past few years, Independent System Operator-New England (ISO-NE) has relied less on Canada for electricity. On January 16, 2026, the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC), a 1,200 megawatt (MW) transmission line project, began commercial operation. The new high-voltage direct current NECEC transmission line is primarily intended to increase the amount of hydroelectr...
  
• Petroleum electricity generation surpassed natural gas in New England during winter storm
  Although petroleum accounts for less than 1% of total U.S. utility-scale electric power generation, regions such as New England rely on oil-fired units during winter periods when cold weather creates high demand. When Winter Storm Fern affected New England this week, petroleum was the predominant energy source starting around midday on January 24 and lasting until early morning...
  
• Coal-fired generation rose to meet demand during Winter Storm Fern
  In the week ending January 25, 2026, as Winter Storm Fern affected significant portions of the country, coal-fired electricity generation in the Lower 48 states increased 31% from the previous week. The increase contrasts with coal use in the earlier part of January, which had milder weather and consequently lower coal-fired generation compared with the same period in 2025.
  
• Crude oil tanker rates reached multi-year highs in late 2025
  Shipping rates for crude oil tankers were at multi-year highs at the end of 2025 before falling in early 2026. Rates climbed in the fall of 2025 because of increased demand for crude oil shipments, particularly from buyers in East Asia, limiting the number of vessels available for bookings. In this analysis, we look at several key global tanker routes for Very Large Crude Carri...
  
• Nuclear plants reported few outages in the first three weeks of January 2026
  Between January 1, 2026, and January 21, 2026, nuclear power plant outages averaged 2.0 gigawatts (GW), 20% less than in the same period in 2025 and below the previous five-year range (2021–25) for 7 out of 21 days.
  
• Severe winter weather across large portions of the country, natural gas prices increasing
  Natural gas daily spot prices at the benchmark Henry Hub rose sharply over the past week, reaching nearly $8.15 per million British thermal units on January 22 as colder weather increased demand for space heating across the country. Higher wholesale natural gas prices generally contribute to higher wholesale electricity prices.
  
• EIA forecasts near-term U.S. crude oil production will remain near 2025 record
  In our January 2026 Short-Term Energy Outlook, we forecast U.S. crude oil production next year will remain near the record 13.6 million barrels per day (b/d) produced in 2025 before decreasing 2% to 13.3 million b/d in 2027. If realized, a fall in annual U.S. crude oil production will mark the first since 2021.
  
• Air power: Tallying electricity generating potential from retired military aircraft
  When military aircraft are retired, they live out their days in the sunbelt at the U.S. Air Force's facility on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, otherwise known as the Boneyard.
  
• EIA expects lower gasoline prices in 2026 and 2027 as crude oil prices fall
  In our latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, we forecast retail U.S. gasoline prices will be lower the next two years than in 2025, falling 6% in 2026 and then increasing 1% in 2027. Our gasoline price forecast generally follows a similar path as global crude oil prices, but decreasing U.S. refinery capacity this year may offset some of the effects of lower crude oil prices on gaso...
  

Nuclear & WMD News at DefenceTalk.com

• Russia’s updated nuclear ‘red line’ adds uncertainty: experts
  DefenceTalkRussia’s new nuclear doctrine reflects its hopes to deter Ukraine’s allies from a greater role in the war by establishing red lines hedged with added ambiguity, experts say. Moscow warned on Tuesday that it would respond after Ukraine fired longer-range US missiles at its territory for the first time, as President Vladimir Putin issued a […]https:/...
  
• Russian defence ministry says held fresh nuclear drills
  DefenceTalkRussia said Tuesday its army held fresh nuclear drills under the supervision of President Vladimir Putin, who recently called for changes to rules on the use of Moscow’s nuclear deterrent. Putin has raised the prospect of using nuclear weapons during Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine several times and last month suggested Russia broaden its rules on […...
  
• Japan shifting back to nuclear to ditch coal, power AI
  DefenceTalkGlinting in the sun by the world’s biggest nuclear plant, the Sea of Japan is calm now. But as the huge facility gears up to restart, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa has a new tsunami wall, just in case. Japan pulled the plug on nuclear power after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, but with the G7’s dirtiest energy mix, it […]https://www.defencetalk.com/japan-shifti...
  
• Amazon bets on nuclear power to fuel AI ambitions
  DefenceTalkAmazon announced significant investments in nuclear energy on Wednesday, joining other tech giants in aiming to meet the high electric power demands of artificial intelligence using atomic energy. As companies including Microsoft, Amazon, and Google rapidly expand their global data center capabilities, they are actively seeking new electricity sources. Amazon has sig...
  
• Nuclear deterrence still at heart of great power strategy: experts
  DefenceTalkNuclear-armed powers have no intention of giving up the atom bomb as part of their military strategy, experts said after the Nobel Peace Prize committee urged against any weakening of the nuclear “taboo”. Awarding this year’s peace prize to Japan’s Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots movement of Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors pushing for a nuclear ...
  
• Israeli retaliation threat sparks call in Iran for nuclear weapons
  DefenceTalkWith the prospect of Israeli retaliation for Iran’s missile attack looming, some Iranian hardliners want their government to revise its nuclear doctrine to pursue atomic weapons. Israel has vowed to launch a “deadly, precise, and surprising” attack on Iran in retaliation for its second-ever direct strike on Israeli territory. On October 1, Iran laun...
  
• Kazakhstan approve plan for first nuclear power plant
  DefenceTalkKazakhstan has approved a plan to build its first nuclear power station in a referendum, overcoming lingering resentment over massive radiation exposure from Soviet-era nuclear tests. The Central Asian country is the world’s largest producer of uranium and has massive oil reserves but it suffers from chronic energy shortages. The “Yes” vote won 71.1...
  
• With Two Nuclear-Armed Strategic Competitors, US Modernization Top Priority
  DefenceTalk“The security environment we face today is unprecedented,” said Melissa Dalton, undersecretary of the Air Force. “We face for the first time in our nation’s history, two strategic competitors that are nuclear states with large and growing nuclear arsenals. When we look at the [People’s Republic of China] and its breathtaking modernizatio...
  
• Kremlin says won’t change plans on Belarus nuclear weapons
  DefenceTalkThe Kremlin on Monday said Western criticism would not change plans announced by President Vladimir Putin to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus. The West condemned Putin’s weekend announcement on placing the weapons in EU and NATO-bordering Belarus, triggering calls for new sanctions on Moscow. Ukraine said it was seeking an emergency meetin...
  
• North Korea says it tested new underwater nuclear attack ‘drone’
  DefenceTalkNorth Korea claimed Friday it had tested an underwater nuclear attack drone able to unleash a “radioactive tsunami”, as it blamed recent US-South Korea exercises for a deteriorating regional security situation. Pyongyang carried out military drills of its own in response this week, the official Korean Central News Agency said, including test-firing a new ...
  

All Articles | Discover Magazine

• Elephants Have 1,000 Delicate Whiskers on Their Trunks, and They May Transform Robotics
  Learn more about the unique structure of elephant whiskers that allows them to pick up something as fragile as a tortilla chip and not break it. These delicate whiskers could soon inspire advanced robotics. 
  
• Ancient DNA Reveals Migrant Women Helped Some European Hunter-Gatherers Adopt Farming
  Learn how ancient DNA reveals migrant women helped Europe’s hunter-gatherers adopt farming thousands of years later than the rest of the continent.
  
• Species Slip Through the Cracks of the U.S. Frog Trade, Some Sold at a Premium
  Learn more about the hidden side of the U.S. frog trade, where undocumented species and import loopholes raise new conservation concerns.
  
• Only Humans Have Chins — and They Emerged as an Evolutionary Accident 
  Learn how the chin became an evolutionary byproduct that's unique to humans. 
  
• Medieval Burial Sites in Denmark Show Illness Didn’t Erase Social Status
  Learn how medieval Denmark’s burial practices reveal that leprosy and tuberculosis patients were not excluded from prestigious church graves.
  
• A Prehistoric Bear Attack Ended in the Gruesome Death of a Teenage Boy Around 27,000 Years Ago 
  Learn about the bear attack that may have killed "Il Principe," a prehistoric teenager whose skeleton was found in a lavish burial site.
  
• Giant Galaxies Emerged Just 1.4 Billion Years After the Big Bang
  Learn how dozens of galaxies may have merged into a giant galaxy shortly after the Big Bang.
  
• Meet the Sea Walnut — A Cannibalistic Jelly Currently Invading Venice’s Lagoon
  Learn how the comb jelly is taking over the Mediterranean, threatening local marine life and expected to only worsen with a changing climate.
  
• Bird Poop Helped Power One of Ancient Peru's Wealthiest Kingdoms
  Learn how ancient bird poop boosted corn harvests and helped turn the Chincha Kingdom into a powerful coastal society.
  
• Yosemite’s Rare Firefall Returns This February — but the Fiery Glow Will Last Only Minutes
  Learn more about the science behind Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall, which glows like fire every February, and will return between Feb. 10 and Feb. 26, 2026.
  
• Humans Abandoned a Bison-Hunting Site Around 1,100 Years Ago — Turns Out, Climate Change Was to Blame
  Learn more about the Bergstrom site in Montana, which was abandoned by bison hunters in response to their changing climate.
  
• One of The Earliest-Known Vertebrates Navigated the Cambrian Dark Forest with Four Eyes
  Learn how a second pair of eyes helped this 518-million-year-old fish evade predators.
  
• How Amsterdam Island Turned into an Unlikely Haven For Feral Cows
  Learn about the Amsterdam Island cows, who against all odds took over a subantarctic ocean island deep in the southern Indian Ocean.
  
• This 307-Million-Year-Old Animal May Have Been One of the First Plant Eaters
  Learn more about Tyrannoroter heberti, a football-shaped land vertebrate who may have enjoyed snacking on plants.
  
• Pig–Boar Hybrids Are Evolving in Fukushima — and Rewriting What We Know About Hybridization
  Learn how boar populations in Fukushima’s evacuation zone are evolving rapidly after mating with abandoned domesticated pigs.