Here is an update on Global Laser Enrichment’s proposed Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility (PLEF), the first-of-its-kind laser uranium enrichment facility in the country. The NRC released the draft EIS and opened a public comment period that closed May 11, 2026. The draft EIS: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2606/ML26061A085.pdf

As I wrote in my CounterPunch article back in April, there are two main issues:

First, the NRC is using NUREG-2249 — a Generic Environmental Impact Statement written for nuclear reactors — as a substitute for site-specific analysis of a laser enrichment facility, a completely different technology that has never operated at commercial scale anywhere. Second, the whole project depends on DOE selling GLE more than 200,000 metric tons of depleted uranium tails stored at the old Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant — and the GAO has twice concluded DOE probably lacks the legal authority to sell it. 

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/04/06/secrets-and-shortcuts-the-us-uranium-enrichment-rush/

Since then, two parties have submitted requests for hearings, and I’m sharing the status of this. I’m lucky to be in communication with the applicants who are keeping me up-to-date and I thought I’d share it with y’all.

Timeline:

In May, the Kentucky Resources Council (KRC), a public-interest environmental law group, filed a request for a hearing:
https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2612/ML26125A449.pdf

A second petitioner, Michael McVicker, also filed a request for hearing, raising issues including seismic risk and the cumulative impacts of the adjacent General Matter enrichment facility now under development on the same site:
https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2612/ML26122A001.pdf

On June 1, both GLE and the NRC Staff filed answers opposing the petitions. They argue the petitioners lack standing and have no admissible contentions. On the NUREG-2249 issue, they defend an internal staff “crosswalk” — a document with no rulemaking and no public process — as sufficient basis to apply reactor findings to a laser enrichment facility. On the DOE issue, they argue that whether DOE can legally sell the uranium is “outside the scope” of the licensing proceeding — even though the license itself authorizes GLE to receive and possess that exact material.

GLE’s answer:
https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2615/ML26152A287.pdf

NRC Staff’s answer:
https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2615/ML26152A303.pdf

Today, June 8, KRC filed its reply pushing back on all of it, including the NRC’s decision to skip a cumulative impacts analysis entirely by granting itself an exemption from its own regulations.

KRC’s reply should be available on NRC’s Adam’s system soon. I can’t send attachments to the list so if you’re interested in seeing it, let me know and I’ll send it to you.
 

This is an important and developing story because it shows how the NRC is operating in ways that seem completely illegal. If the Board denies the petition — which it most likely will — KRC can appeal to the full Commission, and if that fails, take the case to federal court. 

I plan to write about this after the Board’s decision and will keep you posted. If you have any comments or feedback, please share. Feel free to forward this. 

Supreme Court declines to hear case involving St. Louis contamination

PJM gets emergency approval to curtail data centers, large loads during hot weather

Under the Department of Energy order, the PJM Interconnection can curtail power to data centers with backup generation as a last resort before instituting rolling blackouts.

Published May 19, 2026

Ethan Howland's headshot.png

An Amazon Web Services data center in Stone Ridge, Va. The PJM Interconnection will be able to curtail data centers and other large loads that have backup generation under an emergency order issued May 18, 2026, by the U.S. Department of Energy. Nathan Howard via Getty Images

Dive Brief:

• The PJM Interconnection can curtail data centers and other large loads that have backup generation under an emergency order issued Monday by the U.S. Department of Energy.
• PJM on Sunday asked to be able to direct transmission owners and electric utilities in its Mid-Atlantic and Midwest footprint for permission to curtail those facilities if needed for three days starting May 18 because of hot weather combined with planned power plant maintenance outages.
• PJM said it expected to have less than 5,800 MW of reserves during its May 18 peak, and that Maryland and Virginia could be especially stressed by the unseasonably hot weather.

Dive Insight:

Power plant and transmission owners often take their facilities offline in the spring for maintenance so they are prepared for the summer, PJM noted. The grid operator said it expected power plants totaling more than 40 GW would be offline for planned outages on May 18.

“The projected level of generation outages coupled with the forecasted demand raises a significant risk of emergency conditions that could jeopardize electric reliability and public safety,” PJM said.

The curtailments would be a last resort before ordering rolling blackouts, according to the DOE’s order, issued under the Federal Power Act’s section 202(c). Only large energy consumers with backup generation would be affected.

“The employment of this backup generation is expected to reduce stress on the grid,” the DOE said. “This will permit orderly, safe, and secure operations during PJM’s hot weather conditions.”

There are significant amounts of backup generation in the United States that have remained largely untapped during grid emergencies, according to the DOE.

“Deployment of backup generation resources (whether auxiliary, standby, directly-connected, battery storage or other, and whether synchronized or not to the bulk power system) at data centers (including, but not limited to, hyperscaler facilities), and at other large load industrial and commercial customer sites, can prevent avoidable blackouts, thereby saving lives and reducing costs to the American people,” the department said.

In January, the DOE issued similar emergency orders to PJM, Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

PJM said on Monday that it had issued “maximum generation” and “load management” alerts for May 19, with a “hot weather” alert in place for most of the PJM footprint.

Also, the grid operator activated demand response customers in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Dominion regions. The grid operator said it called on pre-emergency demand response for the Baltimore Gas and Electric, Dominion and Potomac Electric Power Co. areas on Monday to address local transmission constraints and to preserve the run-time of generators that will be needed for the hot weather and higher electricity demand expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.

For three days starting on Tuesday, PJM expected its peak load to hit 134,027 MW, 135,961 MW and 119,103 MW.

"Rapidly Growing California Wildfire Threatens Contaminated Nuclear Reactor Site"

https://gizmodo.com/rapidly-growing-california-wildfire-nears-contaminated-nuclear-reactor-site-2000761295

The foundations formed the Global Coalition for Nuclear Philanthropy to mobilize capital for nuclear energy deployment.