IAEA Top News

• Luisa B Hernandez: From Radiation Protection to Nuclear Security
  Born and raised in Cuba, Luisa Betancourt Hernandez’s career has been defined by resilience, and a commitment to nuclear regulation.
  
• Update 291 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine
  Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has for more than a week relied on a single power line to supply the electricity it needs for essential nuclear safety functions, with the military conflict hampering efforts to restore the connection to its back-up line, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.
  
• Director General in Ecuador to Support Nuclear Power Plans, the Galapagos and More
  The IAEA will strongly support Ecuador’s goals for energy planning and development, said the Director General during an important visit to Quito this week as the country takes further steps towards nuclear power.
  
• IAEA Launches SMR School as Africa Looks to Nuclear Energy
  The IAEA has launched a new initiative to inform governments, regulators and industry players in countries around the world about small modular reactors and their potential role in the energy mix.
  
• International Day of Plant Health: Suppressing Fruit Flies in Africa
  As the world marks the International Day of Plant Health, African countries have come together to discuss environmentally friendly ways to protect fruit and vegetable harvests from insect pests.
  
• Study Reveals Potential of Seaweed Farms as Carbon Storage Solution
  New research shows seaweed farms store carbon as effectively as natural coastal ecosystems, broadening marine carbon removal methods.
  
• Update 290 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine
  Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has once again lost the connection to its only remaining back-up power line, underlining the continued fragility of the electrical grid during the military conflict, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.
  
• Avoiding Cosmic Rays: Monaco's Underground Laboratory
  Natural radiation from space can interfere with measuring radioactivity in scientific samples. The IAEA built an underground lab to minimize this interference and allow precise measurements.
  
• Nuclear Desalination: A Sustainable Solution for Water Security in the Arab Region
  Nuclear desalination is offering countries in the Arab region and beyond a clean alternative to energy-hungry traditional desalination.
  
• Call for Abstracts Deadline Extended: International Conference on Emergency Preparedness and Response
  Interested contributors have until 19 May 2025 to submit abstracts for the IAEA's International Conference on Emergency Preparedness and Response.
  
• Call for Abstracts Deadline Extended: Conference on Radiation Protection in Medicine — X Ray Vision
  Interested contributors have until 30 May 2025 to submit abstracts for scientific posters for the IAEA’s International Conference on Radiation Protection in Medicine — X Ray Vision.
  
• Family Driven: Enhancing Global Standards of Radiation Protection of Patients
  Chadia Rizk learned the importance of radiation in medicine in her 20s when her father was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that affects the immune system.
  
• Update 289 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine
  Ukrainian engineers and construction workers are carrying out temporary repairs of the Chornobyl site’s New Safe Confinement (NSC) that was severely damaged in a drone attack earlier this year, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.
  
• IAEA Kicks Off 2025 Cooperation with G20 under South African Presidency
  For the second year in a row, the IAEA has been invited to collaborate with the G20 on work related to nuclear power. The cooperation resumed under the presidency of South Africa at meetings this week in Cape Town, kicking off with a side event on the role of nuclear energy in clean energy transitions.
  
• UN Security Council Media Stakeout on Non-proliferation
  Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France and Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the IAEA speak to the media on non-proliferation and nuclear weapons at a stakeout after a private meeting of the UN Security Council on 28 April 2025 in New York.
  

IAEA Fukushima Status Reports

• 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 t
  
• 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 th
  
• 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 September, which t
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 28 November 2024
  On 28 November 2024, 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 the
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 6 November 2024
  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, 29 October 2024
  On 29 October 2024, 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 the Mi
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 2 October 2024
  On 1 October 2024, 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 the Min
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 11 July 2024
  On 10 July 2024, 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, which the Minist
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 13 June 2024
  On 13 June 2024, 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, which the Min
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 13 June 2024
  On 13 June 2024, 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, which the Mini
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 25 March 2024
  On 22 March 2024, 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, which the
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 5 March 2024
  On 5 March 2024, 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, which the Mi
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 18 January 2024
  On 18 January 2024, 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, which th
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 27 December 2023
  On 27 December 2023, 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 Ministry of Fore
  
• Japan's Reports on Conditions at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, 21 November 2023
  On 21 November 2023, 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 th
  

Union of Concerned Scientists

• 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
  
• California Passes First-in-the-Nation Bidirectional EV Charging Bill
  California Passes First-in-the-Nation Bidirectional EV Charging Bill 2024 chris bliss Thu, 12/12/2024 - 14:07 Read blog post
  
• Clean Energy and Environmental Justice Win in Massachusetts
  Clean Energy and Environmental Justice Win in Massachusetts 2024 Omari Spears Wed, 11/27/2024 - 13:50 Read press release
  
• After UCS Advocacy, >13 Million People Protected By New Ethylene Oxide Regulation
  After UCS Advocacy, >13 Million People Protected By New Ethylene Oxide Regulation 2024 Omari Spears Wed, 11/27/2024 - 12:24 Read press release
  
• New Federal Rules to Modernize US Power Grid Cite UCS
  New Federal Rules to Modernize US Power Grid Cite UCS 2024 Omari Spears Wed, 06/05/2024 - 16:00 Read press release
  
• EPA Falsified Scientific Records in Ohio Train Derailment Disaster
  EPA Falsified Scientific Records in Ohio Train Derailment Disaster Omari Spears Tue, 05/28/2024 - 15:25 Administration Biden Topic Environment Public Health
  
• New EPA Rules Offer $370 Billion in Climate and Health Benefits
  New EPA Rules Offer $370 Billion in Climate and Health Benefits 2024 Omari Spears Mon, 05/06/2024 - 16:21 Read press release
  
• 7 Billion Tons of Climate Pollution Avoided Thanks to New UCS-backed Vehicle Standards
  7 Billion Tons of Climate Pollution Avoided Thanks to New UCS-backed Vehicle Standards 2024 Omari Spears Mon, 05/06/2024 - 16:16 Read blog
  
• More Than 12,000 Chemical Facilities Better Prepared for Disasters
  More Than 12,000 Chemical Facilities Better Prepared for Disasters 2024 Omari Spears Mon, 05/06/2024 - 16:00 Read blog
  

Nuclear Energy News -- ScienceDaily

• Successful experiments at GSI/FAIR uncover new island of asymmetric fission
  An international team of scientists has identified an unexpected region of heavy, neutron-deficient isotopes in the nuclear chart where nuclear fission is predominantly governed by an asymmetric mode.
  
• Professor challenges long-held assumptions of symmetry in physics
  A groundbreaking experiment--reveals 'symmetry' in physics doesn't always behave as scientists once believed.
  
• New silver mass brings us a step closer in our understanding of the antineutrino mass
  Neutrinos and antineutrinos are elementary particles with small but unknown mass. High-precision atomic mass measurements have revealed that beta decay of the silver-110 isomer has a strong potential to be used for the determination of electron antineutrino mass. The result is an important step paving the way for future antineutrino experiments.
  
• Big problem for fusion energy solved
  A new shortcut can help engineers design leak-proof magnetic confinement systems for fusion reactors 10 times as fast as the gold standard method, without sacrificing accuracy. While several other big challenges remain for all magnetic fusion designs, this advance addresses the biggest challenge that's specific to a type of fusion reactor first proposed in the 1950s, called a s...
  
• New theory of gravity brings long-sought Theory of Everything a crucial step closer
  Researchers have developed a new quantum theory of gravity which describes gravity in a way that's compatible with the Standard Model of particle physics, opening the door to an improved understanding of how the universe began.
  
• New method to produce an extremely heavy hydrogen isotope
  Scientists have produced one of the most neutron-rich isotopes, hydrogen-6, in an electron scattering experiment. The experiment presents a new method for investigating light, neutron-rich nuclei and challenges our current understanding of multi-nucleon interactions.
  
• Maximal entanglement sheds new light on particle creation
  Physicists have shown that particles produced in collimated sprays called jets retain information about their origins in subatomic particle smashups.
  
• Study tracks chromium chemistry in irradiated molten salts
  Chemists report that radiation-induced chemical reactions may help mitigate the corrosion of metals in a new type of nuclear reactor cooled by molten salts.
  
• A safe nuclear battery that could last a lifetime
  Lithium-ion batteries, used in consumer devices and electric vehicles, typically last hours or days between charges. However, with repeated use, they degrade and need to be charged more frequently. Now, researchers are considering radiocarbon as a source for safe, small and affordable nuclear batteries that could last decades or longer without charging.
  
• Gas injection setup in new fusion system is guided by public-private research
  Researchers have determined that six gas valves provide the best protection against plasma disruptions in SPARC, a next-generation, experimental fusion system. By refining the setup for the fusion vessel's massive gas injection system, researchers are ensuring that disruptions -- sudden jets of plasma that can damage the fusion vessel's inner walls -- are controlled efficiently...
  
• New machine learning framework enhances precision and efficiency in metal 3D printing, advancing sustainable manufacturing
  Researchers are leveraging machine learning to improve additive manufacturing, also commonly known as 3D printing. The team introduces a new framework they've dubbed the Accurate Inverse process optimization framework in laser Directed Energy Deposition (AIDED). The new AIDED framework optimizes laser 3D printing to enhance the accuracy and robustness of the finished product. T...
  
• Muonic atoms unlock new possibilities in nuclear physics
  Researchers have combined theory and experiments to show that nuclear polarization does not limit studies of muonic atoms, clearing the way for new nuclear physics experiments.
  
• Producing nuclear fusion fuel is banned in the US for being too toxic, but these researchers found an alternative
  Lithium-6 is essential for producing nuclear fusion fuel, but isolating it from the much more common isotope, lithium-7, usually requires liquid mercury, which is extremely toxic. Now, researchers have developed a mercury-free method to isolate lithium-6 that is as effective as the conventional method.
  
• Nanomaterials used to measure nuclear reaction on radioactive nuclei produced in neutron star collisions
  Physicists have measured a nuclear reaction that can occur in neutron star collisions, providing direct experimental data for a process that had previously only been theorised. The study provides new insight into how the universe's heaviest elements are forged -- and could even drive advancements in nuclear reactor physics.
  
• Dialing in the temperature needed for precise nuclear timekeeping
  For decades, atomic clocks have been the pinnacle of precision timekeeping, enabling GPS navigation, cutting-edge physics research, and tests of fundamental theories. But researchers are now pushing beyond atomic transitions to something potentially even more stable: a nuclear clock.
  

Atomic Insights

• 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...
  
• Atomic Show #329 – Dr. Kathryn Huff, former Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy
  The Honorable Dr. Kathryn Huff is an associate professor in the nuclear, plasma and radiological engineering department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is the director of the Advanced Reactor Fuels laboratory and currently specializes in nuclear reactor core neutronics and multi-physics modeling. She served as the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear En...
  
• Atomic Show #328 – Matt Loszak, CEO Aalo
  Aalo Atomics is a two year old micro reactor company founded by Matt Loszak, a serial entrepreneur, and Yasir Arafat, a skilled nuclear engineer who previously lead the DOE’s MARVEL advanced micro-reactor demonstration project. Note: At Nucleation Capital, we were impressed enough with the company and the team to add it to our growing portfolio...
  
• Atomic Show #327 – Rod Baltzer, CEO, Deep Isolation
  Deep Isolation is one of Nucleation Capital’s more impactful portfolio companies because its technology can enable greater success for most of the rest of the companies – and for the entire nuclear energy sector. The company has been developing, testing and refining its systematic approach to nuclear waste disposal for a decade. Despite the fact...
  
• Atomic Show #326 – Jigar Shah, former director of DOE Loan Programs Office
  Jigar Shah has had a lengthy career as an energy industry entrepreneur and strategic thinker. He founded Sun Edison and helped to create a new model for deploying solar power systems. He was part of the Carbon War Room and then founded Generate Capital to provide loans to proven technologies that had not yet achieved...
  
• Chris Wright on nuclear power, Nov 6, 2020
  Yesterday, Chris Wright was confirmed as the next U.S. Secretary of Energy. After that important step in his energy career, it’s worth taking a few moments to learn what he thinks about nuclear power outside of any political context. In my experience, people like Wright form and hold opinions that do not shift much over...
  
• Atomic Show #325 – Marco Visscher – The Power of Nuclear
  After many years as an independent journalist with an antinuclear bent, Marco Visscher began questioning his long-held beliefs. He realized that the accepted alternatives to fossil fuel were not actually reducing fossil fuel use so much as they were limiting the rate at which it was increasing. He began acknowledging that nuclear energy was a...
  
• Atomic Show #324 – Jay Hakes, Author of Presidents and the Planet
  Jay Hakes, an accomplished author and historian, visited the Atomic Show to talk about his recently published book, Presidents and the Planet: Climate Change Science and Politics from Eisenhower to Bush. Sometimes referred to as “the untold story of climate change,” Hake’s book is an enlightening jaunt through a history discovered during long days in...
  
• Atomic Show #323 – Julie Kozeracki, Director of Strategy, DOE Loan Programs Office
  Julie Kozeracki was the lead author for a U.S. Department of Energy strategy document titled Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Advanced Nuclear published in September 2024. The document was the result of a multi-agency, multi-lab effort to update a previously issued report. During our conversation, Kozeracki described how the report was informed by changes in the...
  
• Atomic Show #322 – Westinghouse’s eVinci micro reactor
  Westinghouse’s eVinci is a 15 MWth, 5 MWe micro reactor. Westinghouse often refers to it as a nuclear battery. Unlike conventional nuclear power plants, eVinci uses no water and doesn’t produce steam. The eVinci is not “just another way to boil water.” There are no pumps in the system that moves heat out of the...
  
• Atomic Show #321 – Andrew Harmon, VP Natura Resources
  The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a construction permit on September 16, 2024 to Abilene Christian University (ACU) to build a molten salt research reactor. This marked the first university research reactor approval in 30 years. It is the first liquid fuel reactor ever approved for construction by the NRC and only the second advanced...
  
• Matthew Marzano brings valuable education and experience to his potential role as NRC Commissioner
  Note: (Added Dec 3, 2024)I have come to the conclusion that Matthew Marzano is not an appropriate choice to be an NRC Commissioner. He should not be confirmed by the Senate, especially in the closing days of a lame duck session. Though he has respectable technical education and significant operational experience, he has largely been...
  
• Atomic Show #320 – Magnus Mori, Urenco
  Urenco is one of the few companies in the world that enriches uranium. It’s one of an even smaller group of enrichers that aren’t owned by the Russian, Chinese or Iranian governments. It plays a key role in the western world’s nuclear fuel cycle. That role became even more important after February, 2022. With the...
  
• The ADVANCE Act – Meaningful changes in U. S. nuclear regulatory framework
  NRC’s Newly Aligned Mission Will Accelerate Nuclear Energy Deployment With resounding bipartisan, bicameral support that also achieved enthusiastic support of the Executive Branch, the US has enacted a new law announcing its support of nuclear energy. It has the potential to make an even larger impact on global atomic energy use than the combination of...
  
• Atomic Show #319 – Juliann Edwards, The Nuclear Company
  The Nuclear Company exited a period of operating in “stealth mode” about a month ago. That exit was sufficiently well planned and executed that it is likely that Atomic Insights readers have already heard of the company. The Nuclear Company was incorporated a year ago. Its founding team has been working diligently to build the...
  

Energy News

• Energy Department Announces Emergency Actions to Provide Overdue Relief to Puerto Rico Power Grid
  The Department of Energy (DOE) today announced new emergency actions to provide urgent and immediate assistance to the American citizens of Puerto Rico and strengthen the island’s failing power system.
  
• Secretary Wright Announces New Policy for Increasing Accountability, Identifying Wasteful Spending of Taxpayer Dollars
  The Department of Energy today announced new actions to increase accountability and promote responsible stewardship of American taxpayer dollars.
  
• ICYMI: To Combat Race Discrimination, Energy Department Terminates Funding for Harvard University
  The Department of Energy issued a notice to Harvard University this week terminating approximately $89 million in grant funding from DOE’s Office of Science and Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy due to the University’s policy of racial discrimination.
  
• United States and Saudi Arabia Strengthen Alliance with Energy & Critical Mineral Deals
  U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today signed a Memorandum of Understanding on energy cooperation and a Memorandum of Cooperation on critical minerals with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy H.R.H. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud and H.E. Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef.
  
• Energy Department Slashes 47 Burdensome and Costly Regulations, Delivering First Milestone in America’s Biggest Deregulatory Effort
  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the first step in the Energy Department’s largest deregulatory effort in history, proposing the elimination or reduction of 47 regulations.
  
• Energy Department Aligns Award Criteria for For-profit, Non-profit Organizations, and State and Local Governments, Saving $935 Million Annually
  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced three new policy actions that are projected to save more than $935 million annually for the American taxpayer, while expanding American innovation and scientific research.
  
• Energy Secretary Wright Testifies Before House Appropriations Subcommittee on FY2026 Budget Request
  U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright testified today before the House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, outlining the Department of Energy’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request.
  
• DOE Halts Fossil Fuel Ban for Federal Buildings
  The Department of Energy today announced it has delayed the compliance date for new provisions regarding Clean Energy for New Federal Buildings and Major Renovations of Federal Buildings.
  
• Statement From Energy Secretary Chris Wright on President Trump’s 2026 Budget
  The Department of Energy (DOE) today released the following statement from U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on President Trump’s 2026 Budget released this morning:
  
• Energy Secretary Visits Appliance Manufacturing Facility in Georgia to Mark 100 Days of Unleashing American Energy
  U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today visited Rinnai America Corporation’s manufacturing facility for non-condensed tankless gas water heaters in Griffin, Georgia, to celebrate the first 100 days of the Trump Administration’s efforts to unleash American energy and innovation.
  

Today in Energy

• EIA forecasts world oil consumption growth to slow amid less economic activity
  We forecast consumption growth of crude oil and other liquid fuels will slow over the next two years, driven by a slowdown in economic growth, particularly in Asia, in our May Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO).
  
• U.S. electricity prices continue steady increase
  Retail electricity prices have increased faster than the rate of inflation since 2022, and we expect them to continue increasing through 2026, based on forecasts in our Short-Term Energy Outlook. Parts of the country with relatively high electricity prices may experience greater price increases than those with relatively low electricity prices.
  
• After more than a decade of little change, U.S. electricity consumption is rising again
  In our latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, we forecast U.S. annual electricity consumption will increase in 2025 and 2026, surpassing the all-time high reached in 2024. This growth contrasts with the trend of relatively flat electricity demand between the mid-2000s and early 2020s. Much of the recent and forecasted growth in electricity consumption is coming from the commercial s...
  
• Residential electric bills in Hawaii and Connecticut are twice those in New Mexico, Utah
  The average electric monthly bill for U.S. residential customers was $144 in 2024, but average costs for customers in some states were much higher or lower. Customers in states such as Hawaii and Connecticut, where retail electricity prices are relatively high, paid more than $200 per month for electricity, or more than twice as much as customers in states such as New Mexico an...
  
• Well completions per location more than double in Lower 48 states as technology advances
  We estimate that the average number of wells completed simultaneously at the same location in the Lower 48 states has more than doubled, increasing from 1.5 wells in December 2014 to more than 3.0 wells in June 2024. By completing multiple wells at once rather than sequentially, operators can accelerate their production timeline and reduce their cost per well. The increasing nu...
  
• U.S. sustainable aviation fuel production takes off as new capacity comes online
  Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production is growing in the United States as new capacity comes online. U.S. production of Other Biofuels, the category we use to capture SAF in our Petroleum Supply Monthly, approximately doubled from December 2024 to February 2025.
  

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

• Bat Tolerance to Viral Infections Could Help Humans Become More Resilient, Too
  Discover how learning more about how bats harbor viruses and infections without becoming ill could help keep humans healthy, too.
  
• The Eureka Moment May Be An Important Part of the Memory-Making Process
  Learn more about the aha! moments that may help sudden solutions turn into long-lasting memories.
  
• CRISPR Fulfills Its Promise with First-Ever Personalized Gene-Editing Therapy
  Baby KJ's bleak future is brighter as CRISPR breakthrough paves the way to treat rare genetic disorders.
  
• The Axial Seamount Volcano Could Still Erupt in 2025, and Benefit Marine Life
  Learn more about the impending Axial Seamount eruption and how the organisms around the underwater volcano may benefit from it.
  
• Homo Erectus Crossed an Ancient Land Bridge to Roam Southeast Asia 140,000 Years Ago
  Learn how Homo erectus journeyed to the Indonesian island of Java, leaving behind fossils that now provide insight on the species' life before extinction.
  
• Chemicals that Come into Contact with Food — Not Just Ingredients — May Harm Our Health
  Synthetic substances can also sneak into food via transport, packaging, and preparation — here's what you can do for your health.
  
• Medieval Skeleton Reveals What Life Was Like With a Disability in the Middle Ages
  Learn how researchers combined modern tech, text, and bones to uncover details about a disabled man’s life in medieval Sweden.
  
• Sun Showing Increased, Most Intense Solar Flare Activity Yet in 2025
  The solar flares are bursts of magnetic energy and can impact power, communication, and navigation systems on Earth.
  
• This Artificial Jelly Smells Like Home to Coral — And Helps Them Settle In
  Learn more about SNAP-X — an bio-inspired gel mimicking the scent of healthy reefs to support coral reef restoration.
  
• Too Much Sugar and Fat Can Cause Cognitive Problems — Even in Young People
  Learn more about the evidence piling up that cognitive problems can start earlier than we might expect.
  
• Deep-Sea Deposits of Amber May Document Massive 116-Million-Year-Old Tsunamis
  Deep dive into the amber deposits on Hokkaido Island in Japan, which may serve as a record of ancient tsunamis.
  
• The Strongest Solar Storm in History Impacted Earth 14,300 Years Ago
  Learn about the strongest solar storm to ever strike Earth, occurring around 14,300 years ago during the last Ice Age.
  
• Ancient Horse Fossils Reveal Migration Patterns During the Late Pleistocene
  Genetic traces show that horses travelled between North America and Eurasia until warming closed a land bridge and altered the ecosystem.
  
• Tiny Bubbles Within Magma Reveal Secrets of Volcano Eruptions
  The pressure and depth at which the bubbles become trapped provide more precise measurements of magma movement, and could help better predict eruptions.
  
• Arsenic Levels May be Rising in Rice Because of Increased CO2 and Surface Temperatures
  Learn more about the first-of-its-kind study that shows how climate change could be making a staple food more toxic to consume.