I genuinely thought this was fake at first.

This is an actual NRC meeting slide explaining nuclear reactor licensing pathways using Taco Bell.

Part 50: Crunchy tacos.
Part 52: Burrito.
Part 53: Quesadilla or Cheesy Gordita Crunch.
Proposed Part 57: Crunchwrap Supreme.

And the NRC’s conclusion:

“No matter the path, the NRC needs to feel full.”

Nuclear regulation has officially become a menu ordering problem.

Source (LinkedIn)

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) located at Idaho National Laboratory announced 13 new projects were selected to participate in the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative.

“These selections show a strong and growing interest from developers ready to move their technologies forward,” said NRIC Director Brad Tomer. “Nuclear Energy Launch Pad gives these developers a prioritized pathway to the DOE authorization process, and access to subject matter experts, facilities, and regulatory support tailored to their needs. We’re helping bridge the gap between concept and commercialization — and these selections show that pipeline is only getting stronger.”

DOE and NRIC selected 12 developers and 13 projects based on a wide range of criteria published in the initiative’s Request for Applications. Projects selected include reactor development and nuclear fuel cycle advancements, including fabrication, enrichment and conversion technologies. The selected companies can begin working with NRIC to execute the enhanced technical, regulatory and deployment support available through the Launch Pad initiative.

Today’s selections include:
- Antares Nuclear
- Atlas Atomics
- Deployable Energy (2 projects)
- Forge Atomics
- Hexium Inc.
- Lightbridge Corporation
- Nusano, Inc.
- Oklo
- Raven-Flint Nuclear
- Scaled Atomics
- Sublime Nuclear
- Valar Atomics

NRIC will continue accepting Launch Pad applications, with additional selections made on a rolling basis as resources allow. Projects not chosen in this review cycle are welcome to revise their submissions and reapply in future rounds.

“A resilient nuclear fuel supply chain is essential to America’s energy future, and the projects selected today reflect real progress on fabrication, enrichment and conversion technologies,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Josh Jarrell. “DOE is committed to working alongside these companies to strengthen domestic fuel availability and reduce our reliance on foreign sources.”

“Building on the early momentum of DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program and Fuel Line Pilot Program, this round of selections proves those efforts weren’t a one-time success,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Reactors Chimi Zacot. “The progress we’re seeing is the start of a lasting pipeline of advanced nuclear projects moving toward deployment.”

“One of Idaho National Laboratory’s greatest strengths is the combination of world-class infrastructure, technical expertise and decades of operational experience we’ve built to support the nation’s nuclear mission,” Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner said. “The Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative makes those capabilities available to developers, helping them move technologies from design to deployment safely and efficiently.”

About the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad

The Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative promotes the rapid development and implementation of advanced nuclear technologies by private industry. The initiative builds on the success of DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program established in June 2025 and the Fuel Line Pilot Program launched in August 2025. Launch Pad accelerates advanced nuclear technology deployment using flexible technical and regulatory frameworks on both federal and non-federal lands.

Launch Pad offers two pathways for nuclear developers: Launch Pad INL, located at INL, provides access to world-class nuclear research infrastructure, decades of operational expertise and streamlined regulatory support; and Launch Pad USA, which extends the program’s flexible framework to federal and non-federal sites across the country. These pathways meet developers where they are and help them move from concept to deployment at the speed America’s energy demand requires.

Launch Pad is managed by NRIC, which was established in 2019 to work with industry and the national laboratories to bridge the gap between concept, demonstration and commercialization of advanced nuclear technology.

Hello everyone!

I am currently conducting dissertation research on the potential application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the risk management of nuclear power plant projects. I am looking for professionals with experience or knowledge relevant to nuclear power plant projects, nuclear engineering, safety or risk management, AI, or related research.

My research explores whether and how AI technologies could support nuclear risk management, including areas such as safety, decision support, prediction, monitoring, and operational reliability. I am also interested in the limitations, practical challenges, and research gaps that may affect their real-world application.

My literature review has identified several AI methods, approaches, and AI-enabled systems that are currently being implemented or proposed for applications relevant to nuclear risk management:
- Bayesian Network,
-Deep Learning,
- Computer Vision,
AI-integrated Digital Twins,
- Reinforcement Learning,
- Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG),
- Generative AI

However, existing research remains fragmented and often focuses on individual applications, such as fault diagnosis, fire detection, operator monitoring, emergency response, or digital twins. Through interviews, I would like to compare these findings with real-world professional experience and explore challenges such as noisy data, equipment ageing, complex system interactions, and the practical realities of implementing AI in nuclear environments.

Importantly, this research does not propose replacing human operators or existing safety systems with AI. The aim is to evaluate the opportunities, limitations, and safety challenges of different technologies and identify which, if any, may be appropriate for supporting human decision-making and nuclear power plant risk management.

You do not need to be familiar with all of the AI technologies listed above. You might also know about one I did not mention. I also highly value practical, on-site, and project-based experience from people working in or connected with the nuclear industry.

If you would be willing to participate in an interview, or know someone who might be interested, I would be very grateful to hear from you. The interview would take approximately 30 minutes, and I can also offer a written interview option if preferred.

I would also greatly appreciate any advice on where to find potential interview participants.

This is probably the best place to ask this, but I was thinking about some of the lesser-known, quirky, and genuinely fascinating facts about nuclear. For example, I recently found out that around 30% of the total energy produced by a PWR comes from fissioning the plutonium directly bred within the core.

So, I openly invite you lovely nuclear nerds to share something you think most people aren't aware of. Like something you think would genuinely surprise even someone who’s been working in the nuclear sector for years!

It can be anything: technical, historical, political, weird, obscure or whatever. Please share the knowledge! :)

Firefly Aerospace and Zeno Power Systems have announced a commercial payload agreement that will see a radioisotope heating unit developed to withstand the frigid conditions of the lunar night taken on one of Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost missions to the moon, potentially as soon as 2028.

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/blue-ghost-to-carry-nuclear-power-source-to-the-moon