Sonal Patel

@GovNuclear's new UPRISE initiative seeks to add 2.5 GW of nuclear capacity by 2027 and 5 GW by 2029, primarily through uprates and restarts at existing plants. DOE’s Dr. Bahran explains the strategy and timelines in my latest piece for @POWERmagazine. powermag.com/doe-unveils-in…

@nvidia has joined @INL 's PROMETHEUS, America’s #nuclear "moonshot": "a first-of-its-kind demonstration of an autonomous reactor, designed, analyzed, manufactured, and operated by AI systems with minimal human intervention." powermag.com/inl-enlists-nv…

Today is panning out to be another historic day for #nuclear. DOW will transport a @valaratomics reactor via C-17 from March Air Reserve Base in California to Hill Air Force Base in Utah, then transported to USREL in Orangeville, Utah, for testing and evaluation.

@adair_from_ns @GEVernova It's pretty small and was fairly easy to assemble—but super cool, even if just to visualize the assortment of finely worked and fitted parts in a gas turbine. Hope @GEVernova expands the LEGO series!

@Sonalcpatel @GEVernova Might have to drop some broad hints around our GE reps on this one. All I have are failed turbine bits on display, a model would be extra nice!

Visited @GEVernova’s Houston Learning Center to cover unveiling of its new 7HA training turbine (Hailey—and she’s a beauty) and new education initiatives with several ISDs. But I wanted to share one of the coolest LEGO sets I’ve seen. What a great idea!

Massive regulatory first: The NRC has issued a Category II license to @xenergynuclear for TRISO-X's TF3 facility in Oak Ridge. The 40-year SNM license is a big step for the advanced #nuclear supply chain, #TRISO commercialization. Details: powermag.com/triso-x-secure…

@sharknadoalert That article says up to six years later!

@Sonalcpatel I did not know aftershocks could be years later.

Three #earthquakes in one month in #Utah. But get this: “University of Utah researchers believe that because the Friday quake hit in Magna, it’s an aftershock of the even bigger 5.7-magnitude tremor that hit in the same place in March 2020.” sltrib.com/news/2026/02/1…

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has accepted PJM’s proposal to create a process separate from the traditional interconnection process for transferring Capacity Interconnection Rights from a retiring facility to an equivalent replacement resource at the same site. Read more at PJM Inside Lines. insidelines.pjm.com/ferc-approves-…

Bitter cold will grip the region this weekend with below-freezing temperatures expected to continue. Our generation and transmission teams are actively monitoring conditions and staffing generation sites to keep power flowing. Many communities in our area are still without power due to the ice and snow last weekend. We are coordinating closely with local power company partners as work continues to repair their distribution systems and restore service to customers.

Conservation request from @DukeEnergy Florida today is newsworthy. Here’s a snapshot of load surge from @grid_status. DOE this weekend issued seven Section202c orders “to stabilize” Fla. grid energy.gov/ceser/2026-doe…

As Florida continues to experience the coldest air in the state since 2018, Duke Energy is asking all customers to voluntarily reduce their energy use from 5-9 a.m. EST on Monday, Feb. 2, to help lessen the energy demand on the power grid. spr.ly/6011h1NKZ.

Forecast peak #electricity usage for Jan. 25 in #PJM region: 131,032 MW at 6 p.m. (Eastern); total scheduled capacity 161,930 MW (data as of 6 a.m.)

Really huge deals for #nuclear this morning and details matter. As part of the 6.6 GW, @Meta is supporting 433 MW of existing plant uprates—the largest capacity increase ever backed by a U.S. corporate customer. Dive here: powermag.com/meta-locks-in-…

@generalmatter @juliasteinberg. has this been made public?

@generalmatter What is the enrichment technology?

Last year, General Matter launched to restore U.S. leadership in nuclear enrichment and power America’s ambitions. Today, the Department of Energy awarded us a $900M contract to build and operate HALEU enrichment capacity for the nation’s nuclear energy needs. Under this decade-long, milestone-based contract, General Matter will build domestic HALEU enrichment capacity, fueling the next generation of American nuclear power and enabling American leadership in AI, manufacturing, and other critical industries. Earlier this year, we announced a partnership with the Department of Energy to reindustrialize the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. This award accelerates that plan and will make Paducah, Kentucky the cornerstone of the U.S. enrichment once again. Rebuilding U.S. domestic enrichment capacity will reduce our reliance on foreign providers, strengthen our nuclear industrial base, and lower energy costs for utilities and consumers. American reactors need American uranium. In partnership with the Department of Energy, we will deliver it.

They make good gas turbines in China and India too…

1/7 Freshly published in @POWERmagazine: @BillGates explains why, in an essay, “If I had to pick the coolest thing I work on, it's hard to beat harnessing the power of atoms to fuel our world.” #nuclear 🔗 powermag.com/blog/bill-gate… #NuclearEnergy #FusionEnergy #EnergyInnovation

@Atomicrod Interesting stuff Rod. Thanks for sharing.

But it’s the one where incremental steps have been underway for well over two decades. IMO, one is more likely to reach a destination if already taking steps in the right direction than otherwise. Link to Nov 2016 Atomic Insights piece - “Will China Convert Existing Coal Plants to Nuclear Using HTR-PM Reactors?” atomicinsights.com/will-china-con…

Did you hear about China’s plan to convert some of its modern steam plants from using coal fired furnaces to using nuclear fission heat? The conversion is likely to use the same kind of high temperature, pebble-bed, modular reactors that have been operating at Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Plant, Rongcheng, Weihai, Shandong since December 2023? Note: In this discussion, “reactor” refers to just the nuclear heat source and steam generator.

Federal Grid Interventions Enter a Second Phase as DOE Extends Emergency Orders powermag.com/federal-grid-i…