The Trump administration has unveiled an Energy Department reorganization, eliminating two clean energy offices and establishing ones for critical minerals, fusion and hydrocarbons. It also renamed the Loan Programs Office, which will be called the Office of Energy Dominance Financing.

At Lloyd's Register's Fuel for Thought conference in London, experts said nuclear propulsion for commercial vessels is no longer constrained by reactor technology or safety oversight but by the lack of a clear legal framework for ships operating in multiple jurisdictions. The International Atomic Energy Agency and the International Maritime Organization are drafting guidance and updated safety codes, but a broad treaty is unlikely any time soon. Industry leaders view bilateral or trilateral agreements between willing countries as the most feasible path to early deployment, with the US and UK already exploring a dedicated nuclear shipping corridor under their Technology Prosperity Deal.

The UK will use lead-212 from recycled nuclear fuel to develop targeted alpha therapies for precision medicine. The UK National Nuclear Laboratory leads the project and funding will come from the Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Program.

The threat of cyberattacks against US critical infrastructure is escalating as modern battlefields become increasingly digital and borderless, writes security expert Dan Cronin. Adversaries are increasingly using advanced cyber tools to disrupt essential services, with recent incidents attributed to Iran-affiliated and pro-Russian actors targeting industrial control systems. The integration of AI into both attack and defense strategies further complicates the threat landscape, requiring a comprehensive approach to infrastructure protection.

The governor of Japan's Niigata Prefecture has authorized the restart of Unit 6 at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear station, removing one of the final barriers for Tepco to return part of the world's largest nuclear plant to service for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster. Gov. Hideyo Hanazumi acknowledged divided local sentiment but said strong communication, safety measures and new commitments from the central government justified the decision.

The North American Electric Reliability Corp. has warned that rising electricity demand from data centers could lead to blackouts across the US during extreme winter conditions. Power consumption has increased by 20 gigawatts since last winter, primarily due to the expansion of AI use, but supply has not kept pace. The imbalance raises the risk of energy shortfalls, particularly if severe winter storms occur. Regions such as Texas, the Southeast and the Northwest are at elevated risk.

Canada is increasingly central to the global uranium supply as countries seek to secure long-term nuclear fuel amid sanctions on Russian uranium and production issues in Kazakhstan. With 13 percent of global uranium output and nearly all of it exported, Canada is a cornerstone supplier, especially for the U.S. The Canadian government is supporting growth through critical minerals initiatives, but scaling up production remains challenging due to operational, labor and permitting constraints.

US small modular reactor developers, including X-energy, TerraPower and NuScale, are pursuing projects in Europe as rising power demand and new nuclear partnerships open new opportunities in countries like Poland, Romania, Sweden and the UK. However, fragmented licensing regimes, undeveloped supply chains and competition from European players could limit momentum. While the US-UK Atlantic Partnership is expected to streamline licensing through shared technical and safety reviews, rivals like Rolls-Royce SMR have a head start as most US designs still await Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval.