Nuclear Energy Now tracks the latest nuclear energy developments across technology, diplomacy, industry trends, and geopolitics.

Ontario Advances Plans for a 10 GW Nuclear Expansion

In Canada, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and the Municipality of Port Hope have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance collaboration on a potential new nuclear power plant at the Wesleyville site, with a capacity of potentially up to 10 gigawatts (GW). An oil-fired power station was partially built at the Wesleyville site in the 1970s but never entered operation, and in January 2025, the Ontario government asked OPG to explore new nuclear generation following support from the local and Indigenous communities. OPG submitted its Initial Project Description to the Impact Assessment Agency last month, and the two have now agreed to coordinate throughout the federal impact assessment and regulatory and licensing processes. While no reactor technology has been selected, OPG is considering various designs, including Westinghouse’s AP1000, EDF’s EPR, AtkinsRéalis’ CANDU MONARK, and GE-Hitachi’s BWRX-300.

Armenia and the US Complete Negotiations for a Nuclear Deal

US Vice President JD Vance and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have signed a joint statement on the completion of negotiations for a 123 agreement on nuclear energy. The formal agreement will allow US and American companies to enter into deals for nuclear energy projects and allow up to $4 billion in long-term fuel and maintenance contracts, as well as $5 billion in US exports to Armenia. The joint statement comes just days after Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev reiterated Moscow’s willingness to cooperate on new nuclear capacity and met with Armenian officials to discuss extending the life of the country’s only operating reactor—a 376-megawatt electric (MWe) VVER unit at the Armenia Nuclear Power Plant, which is expected to run until 2036 with Russian support. While Armenia hasn’t selected a vendor for future nuclear energy projects, the signing of the joint statement expands its options. For Russia, Armenian alignment with the United States on nuclear energy would represent an erosion of influence in the South Caucasus. 

South Korea Passes SMR Legislation

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are picking up speed in South Korea. After two years of debate, the National Assembly passed the Special Act on the Promotion and Support of Small Modular Reactor Development (SMR Special Act), framing SMRs as critical for meeting the electricity demand from artificial intelligence (AI) and for achieving carbon neutrality. The legislation requires the government to create an SMR development and implementation plan every five years, which would include research and funding plans, and establish special zones for the advancement of SMR technology by universities and research institutions. Additionally, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission announced that it plans to create a new regulatory framework for SMRs, and it will reform the system over the next five years. With South Korea already being recognized as a global leader in nuclear energy construction, these legislative and regulatory move signals that South Korea is positioning itself to be a leader in SMRs as well. 

About the Author: Emily Day 

Emily Day is an experienced researcher, writer, and editor with expertise in geopolitics, nuclear energy, and global security. She is an associate editor of Energy World and Techland at The National Interest and a senior research associate at Longview Global Advisors, where she provides insights on global political and economic trends with a specialization in utilities, risk, sustainability, and technology. She was previously a Della Ratta Energy and Global Security Fellow at the Partnership for Global Security. 

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