[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6333324,"mediaKeyId","2303073-5c0aca07d1b71196b8ba816478b34bcd","parentId",2303073,"title","State agencies, Entergy and PSC outline readiness, limits and policy options for advanced nuclear in Louisiana","audioSeconds",5532,"startMs",2676000,"endMs",8208000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2303073-5c0aca07d1b71196b8ba816478b34bcd&start=2676&end=8208","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2303073-5c0aca07d1b71196b8ba816478b34bcd/thumbnail_2676000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6333324/Louisiana/State-agencies-Entergy-and-PSC-outline-readiness-limits-and-policy-options-for-advanced-nuclear-in-Louisiana","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6333324-8a4cfdbcf3b28869f4959b2bef1d0471/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144020&Signature=OMKRa2MZMb2Ss6M7WmUCifal~4~M~RzlaPovYwwo-UjxQ~WyAwJVvuKKnHZCX44Q2tipQmH8SamfIetFHkxy5wGVtLSpS~-x9Q8TS19GJGiwOh2w2MpW0Hs1NRrSUNAS~fDeFWNCtTHREuB0hmxEkyGafBRtFW6txQwTiOiDzqj9TIG-epmuHhjAkvQEss2TOTpYrOBY5ae-8Vuhld-s-v3saBNy-bPXPNYebSB~qjWD1HLjrFeEzWgZf0s9oViEiwmZYRfqQXFsTqBLf63glPdoXVoc9FyLP36h7rTEtbfrKttTtEzBN2KK9pnl9wATpoTLjO~WRETmwB~ZTEr5Lw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Natural Resources and Environment Committee","date","2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","article","Representatives of Louisiana Economic Development (LED), the governor’s office, Entergy, the Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and the Public Service Commission (PSC) briefed the joint Natural Resources committee on state capacity, regulatory responsibilities and recommended next steps for advanced nuclear deployment in Louisiana.

LED said energy demand from new industrial projects and data centers makes longer‑term, low‑carbon generating options important to state economic strategy. “We want to ensure that we have very good solutions in the long term for energy demand and to be able to meet that demand with clean, affordable, and reliable power,” Paige Carter, LED’s chief business development officer, told the committee.

The governor’s office reiterated executive‑level support. Steven Swiber, the governor’s chief resilience officer and energy policy adviser, said the administration has engaged state agencies and utilities and called for a “whole‑of‑government” approach. He noted federal permitting and regulatory constraints and said the state is coordinating with the Public Service Commission and utilities.

Entergy described existing nuclear assets and short‑term actions. Jody Monteilaro said Entergy Louisiana currently supplies about 20 percent of the state’s electricity from two nuclear plants, Waterford and Riverbend, representing roughly 2 gigawatts of capacity. Monteilaro said Entergy is exploring uprates, small modular reactor (SMR) evaluations and potential partnerships; she emphasized that on‑site dry‑cask storage is designed for secure interim storage and that Department of Energy reimbursements have covered utilities’ added storage costs to date.

Regulatory limits and permitting responsibilities were clarified by LDEQ. Secretary Giacometo and Kevin Bourne of LDEQ told lawmakers that Louisiana is an NRC agreement state for certain radiation activities but that the NRC retains licensing authority for commercial SMRs and microreactors. LDEQ said it is reviewing other states’ rules and preparing to streamline state permitting to reduce delays should companies pursue projects in Louisiana.

Public Service Commission work: Commissioner Jim Scametta outlined a PSC‑led initiative called the Louisiana Advanced Nuclear Competitive Edge (LAANC). The group, formed with participation from Idaho National Laboratory, reactor vendors and manufacturers, produced a framework report recommending three pillars: generation planning (including utility integrated resource planning and SMR options), an advanced‑nuclear supply chain to leverage Louisiana manufacturers, and a value chain strategy to attract industrial load that benefits from low‑carbon power and process heat. Scametta said the PSC is exploring financing options, state incentives for manufacturing and workforce training partnerships with higher education and community colleges.

Academic and technical perspective: Dr. Brandon Upton (LSU/energy analyst) provided national context, noting nuclear accounts for about 18–19 percent of U.S. electric generation and that construction timelines and up‑front capital costs remain substantial. He cited the cost and multi‑year schedule of recent large projects and cautioned that natural gas remains a low‑cost comparator in the Gulf Coast region.

What was not decided: The committee received briefings and exchanged questions. No bills, motions or regulatory changes were adopted at the meeting.

Ending note: Multiple speakers recommended further study, closer state‑federal coordination on licensing and financing, and early community engagement on siting. The PSC’s LAANC report and LDEQ regulatory review were identified as near‑term materials for legislators and agencies to consider.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Natural Resources Joint 02/11/2025","oneSentenceSummary","LED, the governor's office, Entergy, LDEQ and the Public Service Commission described existing nuclear capacity, regulatory limits (NRC authority), grid and workforce considerations, and a PSC task force recommending supply‑chain, workforce and financing steps to support advanced nuclear deployment.","taxTitle","Natural Resources and Environment, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Louisiana","taxId",20979,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6333328,"Company tells Louisiana committee recycling used fuel can cut waste and supply new reactor fuel",4058,172000,4230000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2303073-5c0aca07d1b71196b8ba816478b34bcd&start=172&end=4230","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2303073-5c0aca07d1b71196b8ba816478b34bcd/thumbnail_172000.jpg","/articles/6333328/Louisiana/Company-tells-Louisiana-committee-recycling-used-fuel-can-cut-waste-and-supply-new-reactor-fuel","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6333328-219bdfe9367b3fef751dc177b950b1e7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144020&Signature=nwtNDEXP4PiKx-~n8UpVTtsHOMZ4KXVxEECq6nIfU4rduSLhWFFaYLQWGHkzP~wnbbbOlNS5fL8rHopbdVhxR-qIm4saaJMC40Fhez7OOXKOhlhHLObZTZsPO8MciEqk1sCs9BC8UrvQvNiZUzO0jPgxnulKd9mdVGehbn9~RFTwPmSvVQkmO2wVAiqfy~4m4OahhzWjvO3yBi3JQZp58BTsbn77dxMpXMRZ7KdW3rX6bgoXHElbYivZkzxKDmeEfAgfISeyYxQ8Jys7Y7kA5NKS5Z3LEiKwSLM6WqnNcBRAo4fYy1sZHEaREHP7M463LxwDJCJTpjhShPkIJRwn-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ed McGinnis, a presenter identified as representing Curio, told the joint House and Senate committees on Natural Resources that his firm is developing an integrated fuel‑cycle approach that combines recycling of used nuclear fuel, advanced reactors and on‑site waste disposition.

McGinnis said the United States has about 90,000 metric tons of used nuclear fuel and that Curio’s “new cycle” recycling process would reduce the volume of high‑level radioactive material to about 3–4 percent of the original amount while recovering uranium, plutonium and valuable isotopes. “We want to unlock the full potential of the nuclear sector,” McGinnis said.

The presentation outlined three elements Curio says are required for a full nuclear fuel cycle: reactors, fuel and waste disposition. McGinnis described a recycling plant sized to process about 4,000 metric tons of used fuel per year and a reuse pathway in which recovered fuel could be returned to reactors. He also said Curio plans to supply plutonium‑based and uranium‑based fuels, and to offtake medical and industrial isotopes recovered during processing.

Why this matters: McGinnis said recycling sharply reduces the quantity of permanent high‑level waste that would require geological disposal, which the company argues would lower the federal cost and community burden associated with long‑term storage. He and committee members framed the proposal as one possible way to supply fuel, reduce waste volumes and support new electricity and industrial demand in Louisiana.

Details and claims discussed at the meeting included Curio’s workforce and timeline estimates. McGinnis said a recycling facility and associated tech corridor could directly employ “well over 3,000” people and pay average salaries he estimated in the $80,000–$140,000 range. He described a commercial ramp to full scale in roughly seven years and said the company does not plan to seek state tax abatements. McGinnis also said the remaining high‑level waste after recycling could be disposed of in deep boreholes (he mentioned 12,000‑foot boreholes as an example).

Committee members pressed Curio on safety, licensing and ownership of waste. McGinnis said the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) would need to license any geologic disposal and that, under current law, title to unretrieved used fuel remains with the federal government only after DOE accepts it; until then, utilities typically retain ownership. He reiterated Curio’s view that reducing the long‑term volume of waste would make federal disposal more tractable.

Several committee members asked technical and policy questions during a more than hour‑long Q&A. Topics included reactor types (McGinnis described a “HOPE” reactor—an acronym he said stands for a homogeneous plutonium eliminating reactor—characterized in his presentation as a walk‑away‑safe molten‑salt design), transport modes for used fuel (McGinnis said by water, rail or road are all used), and how recovered plutonium would be handled to avoid proliferation risks. McGinnis said Curio’s process would not produce a pure plutonium stream but rather a “self‑protecting” material blended with other isotopes.

Quotes from the record: “Used nuclear fuel is anything but waste,” McGinnis told lawmakers. “We're going to pull out isotopes that otherwise would have to be thrown away and treated as waste.” He also said, “We have partnerships with some of the largest U.S. utilities to precisely look at the feasibility of recycling the fuel that's sitting on the pads right now.”

What was not decided: The committee heard the presentation and asked questions but took no formal votes or motions related to Curio’s proposals. No licensing, siting or funding decisions were made at the meeting.

Ending note: Curio’s representatives remained available to legislators after the formal presentation, and McGinnis said the company planned further feasibility work and state outreach. Several legislators and state officials said they found the recycling proposal worth further study but noted that federal regulation, local siting and public engagement would be necessary next steps.","Ed McGinnis of Curio told a joint Natural Resources committee that advanced recycling of used nuclear fuel and new reactors could reduce high‑level waste to about 3–4% of its current volume, supply fuel for reactors and create thousands of jobs; state and federal licensing and siting were discussed during a lengthy question-and-answer session.","actionData","errors"]

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State agencies, Entergy and PSC outline readiness, limits and policy options for advanced nuclear in Louisiana

Company tells Louisiana committee recycling used fuel can cut waste and supply new reactor fuel