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DOE Announces New Path to Test Advanced Nuclear Reactors

LCG, June 18, 2025--The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced late today a new pilot program to expedite the testing of advanced nuclear reactor designs under DOE authority outside of the national laboratories. The new pilot program is intended to unlock private funding and provide a fast track to commercial licensing.

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X-energy Announces Receipt from NRC of Schedule for Xe-100 Construction Permit Application

LCG, June 17, 2025--X-energy Reactor Company, LLC (X-energy) announced yesterday that it has received key updates from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regarding the construction permit application for the initial deployment of the Xe-100 advanced reactor at a Texas Gulf Coast site. The NRC published an 18-month review timeline for the project, located in Seadrift, Texas, and will concurrently proceed with its environmental assessment. The NRC cited the completeness and quality of the application, as well as the effectiveness of pre-application engagements for the 18-month timeline.

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Industry News

FERC Okays $25 Billion Worth of Utility Deals

LCG, July 27, 2000--The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, stepping up the pace of its utility merger reviews, yesterday approved three combinations with a total value of about $25 billion and postponed voting on a fourth that would have added over $2 billion more.

In the biggest merger, FERC approved the acquisition by El Paso Energy Inc. of Coastal Corp., a transaction valued at $17.6 billion. El Paso already operated the largest interstate natural gas pipeline system in the U.S., and the merger will add another 60,000 miles.

The deal will also create the third-largest company in U.S. natural gas production and a major player in the global electric generation sector with 15,000 megawatts in capacity. The companies expect to close the transaction in the fourth quarter this year.

FERC also approved the once-hostile takeover of Columbia Energy Group by Nisource Inc., the Indiana utility holding company known chiefly as owner of Northern Indiana Public Service Co. The $6 billion deal will make Nisource the largest natural gas company east of the Rockies and give it control of the largest underground gas storage facility in the U.S.

In approving the merger, FERC said it relied on the assurance by Nisource that Northern Indiana Public Service would join an agency-approved regional transmission organization within a year after the closing of the transaction. Nisource said it expected the deal to close by the end of the year.

In a third action, FERC gave conditional approval to the acquisition by UtiliCorp United Inc. of St. Joseph Light & Power Co. and Empire District Electric Co. The agency said the mergers could go ahead provided that UtiliCorp submit a revised analysis of the competitive effects of the mergers six months prior to their closing. That would rule out a closing of the transactions this year.

FERC postponed voting on a plan by Sierra Pacific Resources to acquire Portland General Electric Co. from Enron Corp. in a transaction valued at $2.1 billion. The agency said it wanted more information on the competitive aspects of the combination, which would create an electric utility serving more than 1.7 million customers in Nevada, California and Oregon.

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