Dive Brief:

• New York will develop a “master plan” for advanced nuclear development, participate in a multi-state initiative on nuclear cost-sharing and development risk-reduction, and support Constellation Energy’s efforts to study advanced nuclear reactor siting at its Nine Mile Point nuclear plant, Gov. Kathy Hochul, D, said Jan. 14.
• The Master Plan for Responsible Advanced Nuclear Development in New York will build on the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s final Blueprint for Advanced Nuclear Technologies and is expected to be published by the end of 2026, Hochul said.
• Hochul’s announcements come amid an ongoing state request for information seeking input from entities pursuing or considering advanced nuclear development in upstate New York.

Dive Insight:

Hochul discussed New York’s nuclear ambitions as part of a $1 billion slate of climate and clean energy investments detailed during her annual State of the State address on Jan. 14.

Characterizing the investment as “a monumental step towards a greener, more affordable future for New York State,” Hochul described the nuclear initiatives as well as plans to run state agencies on 100% renewable energy by 2030, decarbonize New York’s state and city university campuses and advance the state’s cap-and-invest emissions reduction program.

Constellation Energy plans to apply for a U.S. Department of Energy grant “to support the company’s efforts to seek an early site permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for one or more advanced nuclear reactors at the Nine Mile Point Clean Energy Center in Oswego, New York,” the publicly traded power producer said Jan. 15. 

An early site permit approves a specific site for future nuclear reactor development. Each permit is valid for 10 to 20 years and can be extended for another 10 to 20 years, according to the NRC.

DOE is expected to name grant awardees in early summer, Constellation said.

Constellation Energy’s predecessor company, Exelon, signed a memorandum of understanding with Rolls-Royce in 2020 to support the British manufacturer in developing its 470-MW UKSMR. A Constellation spokesperson told Utility Dive that the company is evaluating a range of reactor designs and has not made a final selection. 

Hochul also announced New York’s intention to “co-lead a multi-state initiative facilitated by the National Association of State Energy Officials and [DOE]” that will explore ways to reduce costs and share risk in nuclear energy development. That initiative is expected to launch in February, she said.

Finalized this month, the Blueprint for Advanced Nuclear Technologies will “[provide] a comprehensive overview of issues to be considered throughout the Master Plan process,” Hochul said.

Among the issues the blueprint identifies for consideration in the master plan are the technical and commercial readiness and potential applications of various reactor technologies, state and federal regulatory pathways and timelines, environmental and climate justice issues around reactor siting, development costs and potential state policy support, supply chain and workforce development, nuclear waste management, the state’s role in advanced nuclear R&D and opportunities to advance nuclear fusion in New York.

NYSERDA issued the advanced nuclear RFI in November and asked for responses by Dec. 16, but the request remains open on the agency’s website. It asks for input from “stakeholders interested in advanced nuclear solutions to serve their energy needs, supply chain entities, (potential) host communities, workforce entities, project developers, financing/funding entities, and those working on research and development,” with potential generation stakeholders limited to those interested in serving New York Independent System Operator load control zones A through F.