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"AREVA and Fresno Nuclear Energy Group (FNEG) today announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop a Clean Energy Park near Fresno, California, including nuclear and renewable generation. According to the MOU, AREVA and FNEG will work together on the site selection and initial development of a nominal 1,600 Megawatt U.S. EPR™ reactor. The agreement also includes potential development of other AREVA energy technologies such as concentrated solar power. "Our goal is to create a power-producing infrastructure that combines clean electric energy sources, including nuclear, solar, and future technologies," said John Hutson, president of FNEG."

The government, through state-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor), has signed a deal with Korea Electric Power Corp. (Kepco) on the possible revival of the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). In a statement on Tuesday, Napocor said that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kepco for the conduct of studies on the reactivation of the nuclear plant in Morong town of Bataan province, 150 km northwest of Manila. The memorandum does not give Kepco any preferential rights to future projects or plans that Napocor may undertake in connection with the country's only nuclear power plant.

Babcock and Wilcox, the Tennessee Valley Authority and a consortium of municipal and cooperative utilities have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the construction of a fleet of B&W's modular, 125-MW nuclear reactors in the US, B&W said Wednesday. B&W also said that it has received a letter of intent from TVA stating the federal utility will "begin the process of evaluating a potential lead plant site" for the B&W mPower reactor. The company added that it has assembled a "global team of potential future customers to support the development of the reactor" to ensure it meets customer and regulatory requirements in North America, Europe and elsewhere.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering a request from New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine to assume part of the NRC's regulatory authority over certain nuclear materials in the state. If the request is accepted, New Jersey will become the 37th state to sign such an agreement with the NRC. Under the proposed agreement, the NRC would transfer to New Jersey the responsibility for licensing, rulemaking, inspection and enforcement activities for: (1) radioactive materials produced as byproducts from the production or utilization of special nuclear material (SNM-- enriched uranium or plutonium); (2) naturally occurring or accelerator-produced byproduct material (NARM); (3) source material (uranium and thorium); (4) SNM in quantities not sufficient to support a nuclear chain reaction; and (5) the regulation of the land disposal of source, byproduct, and SNM received from other persons. If the proposed agreement is approved, the NRC would transfer an estimated 500 licenses for radioactive material to New Jersey's jurisdiction. New Jersey would retain regulatory authority over approximately 500 NARM licensees, including 300 who also hold NRC licenses. These licensees would have their NRC and New Jersey licenses combined into a single state license. In total, New Jersey would then have jurisdiction over approximately 700 licenses.

"The Department of Energy and the White House are at odds over how steep to cut the Yucca Mountain budget for fiscal 2011, according to reports. Energy Secretary Stephen Chu is balking over the White House plan to slash the budget for the nearly-doomed nuclear waste dump north of Las Vegas, according to reports in Energy Daily and the Wall Street Journal. Apparently, the White House wants to zero out the $46 million in the Energy Department's request in the president's new budget due next month. Chu sent a letter to White House budget director Peter Orszag last month arguing that at least $25 million was needed to close out the Yucca Mountain office, including for the retention of "critical knowledge and data.""