Panelists Reflect on Success Formula for New Energy Development at EM Sites

Panelists, from left: Marcie Haber, director of federal affairs, Oklo Inc.; Jack Craig, senior vice president, Federal Energy & Environment, AtkinsRéalis US Nuclear; panel moderator Seth Kirshenberg, executive director, Energy Communities Alliance; Jim Kahler, senior advisor, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management; and Candice Robertson, deputy for Environment, Energy & New Missions, BWXT.

ARLINGTON, Va. — U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) Senior Advisor Jim Kahler joined private sector partners on a National Cleanup Workshop panel to share insight on the thriving new energy developments taking root across EM sites since the White House issued executive orders last year to transform the nation’s energy landscape to unlock American resources, technology and ingenuity.

"It's a really exciting time at EM," Kahler said. "One of the reasons why these projects will be durable is that these are not political projects. We are really trying to respond to what's happening in the energy markets right now."

Earlier at the workshop in his keynote address, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management Tim Walsh highlighted more than $650 billion in private sector investments at or adjacent to cleanup sites for research, affordable energy production, computing power and innovation through DOE’s American Energy Hub initiative.

Panelist Marcie Haber, director of federal affairs with Oklo Inc., detailed the company’s plans for its flagship powerhouse and fuel fabrication project at the Idaho National Laboratory Site and an advanced nuclear fuel recycling facility at Oak Ridge.

“We went through a two-year site-selection process. We were incredibly thorough, and the best option was a DOE site in Tennessee,” Haber said of Oak Ridge. “There’s a lot of great opportunities to be located on these sites; the workforce is one of them. A welcoming community is another, an understanding of nuclear, an openness, a willingness.”

The panelists detailed lessons learned and EM’s blueprint for success in redeveloping former cleanup sites. They said the current revamped process is efficient; EM listens to industry demand and responds quickly; obtaining community buy-in is important; and an emphasis on repurposing and revitalization has grown from a past singular focus on site closure.

"It's a different moment in time,” said Jack Craig, senior vice president, Federal Energy & Environment with AtkinsRéalis US Nuclear. “The need for energy, the data center siting and the leadership of the department have really driven and encouraged that development."

Added Candice Robertson, deputy for Environment, Energy & New Missions at BWXT: "I think this administration also did a great job of getting it started at the beginning."