Pathways for New Nuclear Development Proceedings of a Workshop (2025) / Chapter Skim
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6 Host Community Perspectives
6 Host Community Perspectives
Pages 44-50
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From page 44... ...
Kara Colton, Kaco Group, LLC, moderated a panel discussion examining how existing host communities support advanced nuclear projects and work with state, Tribal, and regional partners to drive alignment, address risks, and ensure shared benefits for all parties. Introducing the session, Colton described how the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA)
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From page 45... ...
ETEC convenes weekly stakeholder meetings and hosts an annual Nuclear Opportunities Workshop to drive collaboration and grow the regional economy. For example, Kairos Power is building a nuclear demonstration reactor in Oak Ridge, one of several new projects ETEC supports.
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From page 46... ...
As a community representative, he advocated for Tribal communities during the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository discussions, a challenging topic to understand and explain to community members. He emphasized the importance of doing "science with a conscience," expanding conversations, enabling authentic collaboration, and supporting inclusive community engagement to help inform the public.
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From page 47... ...
Howard emphasized that effective collaboration is essential to overcoming barriers and making it possible for new nuclear facilities to come into place and fuel local economies, meet energy demands, and support national security. She shared that industry, government, and community partners have been establishing channels of engagement much earlier in the process for the Northwest Advanced Clean Energy Park than was seen in previous efforts; for example, an Intertribal Advisory Board was established to make this engagement more inclusive and foster relationshipbuilding even before a formal community consultation process begins.
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From page 48... ...
Building on Arnold's points, Bell said that some communities may be reluctant to embrace new projects if past harms are not acknowledged and community concerns are not addressed in an authentic and meaningful way. For a striking example of what that past looked like, she pointed to The Firecracker Boys,5 an account of a plan to detonate nuclear bombs on Alaska's coastline that was blocked by local community activists.
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From page 49... ...
The community's shared vision created momentum by forcing companies to answer hard questions and identify opportunities, although Howard said it was initially challenging to break down the silos stakeholders operate within and create true collaboration. Boatner reiterated that open, consistent, clear, and respectful conversations over a period of time are the only way to build the trusted partnerships that lead to successful new energy projects.
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From page 50... ...
Bell added that vendors must be willing to share knowledge, learn from communities, and understand that places like Puerto Rico and Alaska have unique environments and challenges that require unique solutions. Howard said that she considers vendors to be stakeholders and includes them in annual meetings, hosts individual meetings with them, and has built productive, knowledge-sharing relationships that in some cases goes back decades.
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