France's ambitious energy plan will require substantial investment efforts over the next few years. Against this backdrop, the French government has expressed a willingness to propose a new remuneration framework for the existing nuclear fleet - though the timing and details of such a regulatory change remain uncertain and remote. What's more, the French state has opened the option of increasing its stake in EDF (currently 83.7%) by as early as 2019. If, or indeed when, these developments are implemented it could be credit positive.

The race for investor commitments of cash and eventual market share among developers of small modular reactors (SMRs) globally is on. Developers in the U.S., Canada, U.K., South Korea, Russia, and China, and in other nations are pursuing their technology visions for a variety of designs concepts including light water (LWR), molten salt, HTGR, and other GEN IV types.

The US Department of Commerce (DOC) on 15 April submitted to the White House the results of an investigation into the effects of uranium imports on US national security. US President Donald Trump now has up to 90 days to decide whether to act on the DOC's findings and recommendations, which have not been made public.

China wants to promote nuclear energy cooperation in the 'Belt and Road', and is focusing on new technology deployment and completing its radioactive waste management strategy, a conference in Beijing heard. The Belt and Road Initiative is a development strategy adopted by the Chinese government involving infrastructure development and investments in 152 countries and international organisations.

The decade-long trend of strong growth in renewable energy capacity continued in 2018 with global additions of 171 gigawatts (GW), according to new data released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) today. The annual increase of 7.9 per cent was bolstered by new additions from solar and wind energy, which accounted for 84 per cent of the growth. A third of global power capacity is now based on renewable energy.

JERA Co, Japan’s biggest power generation company, plans to increase its renewable energy investment to 5 gigawatts (GW) of capacity by 2025, up from 650 megawatts now and an increase over an earlier target of 3 GW, it said on Tuesday

A research centre to support China's push for nuclear fusion power has been approved. It will be able to test large superconducting magnets and filters under operational conditions. The Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said that having an integrated research facility for key systems of fusion reactors is "one of the major scientific engineering projects" in the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan.

China has begun construction of the main structure of the 2.24-GW hydropower station on the Jinsha River, the upper section of the Yangtze River. The project is undertaken by China Huadian Corp., with a total investment of about 33.4 billion yuan (about 5 billion US dollars).

WNN - The Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (NELA), bipartisan draft legislation which aims to accelerate the development of advanced nuclear technologies and re-establish US leadership in nuclear energy has been re-introduced to the US Senate.

Nuclear is the largest source of clean energy in the USA, and the nation's nuclear plants are working more efficiently than ever, Korsnick said, adding they are "economic engines" for the communities they serve.