From the National Society of Arts and Letters, NJ Chapter
The National Society of Arts and Letters, NJ Chapter, is very excited to announce that musician Steve Kirchuk will be the speaker on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, at 1:30 pm at the Morristown and Morris Township Library, One Miller Road, Morristown.
He will be demonstrating his unique 7-string hybrid guitar, and will be playing some cover songs as well as original music.
Steve Kirchuk has made a significant impact in the music scene by collaborating with a variety of bands, such as Jam-Bone and Steel Gravy. His exceptional guitar and bass playing, coupled with his heartfelt vocals, truly enliven his music in a way that sets him apart from many others.
Steve’s original compositions showcase a remarkable diversity and originality, reflecting his artistic vision. He is particularly recognized for his skillful use of custom 7-string guitars, including a Charlie Hunter-style hybrid guitar.
Since 2014, Steve has released five CDs featuring his original music, along with two anthologies and several singles, demonstrating his prolific creativity. Additionally, he has contributed to the success of other artists by producing two CDs for Carl Scimeca and Kevin Defeo, further highlighting his commitment to fostering talent in the music community.
Steve often performs at music festivals and clubs in Warren County, NJ. His main instrument is the unique 7-string Charlie Hunter guitar, which features both bass and guitar strings on the same instrument. Videos are here.
This program is presented by the New Jersey Chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters (NSAL-NJ), and is open to the public. Founded in 1944, NSAL has 15 chapters throughout the United States. Its mission is to support young artists in the performing, visual and literary arts through scholarships, competitions and mentoring. Visit www.arts-nsal.org.
Since its inception in 2021, the Meritus Care Caller Program has significantly impacted the local community by providing vital support to over 700 individuals. This initiative, supported by 85 volunteers and two paid staff members, aims to combat loneliness and social isolation—factors known to affect life expectancy at rates comparable to smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.
The program targets Meritus patients who express feelings of loneliness or a lack of companionship during their health screenings. With the objective of reducing loneliness among participants, the program has already seen promising results: a significant percentage of participants reported feeling less isolated within just four months of regular phone call interventions.
Meritus Health encourages community members to join the volunteer program. Prospective volunteers can start by signing up with Meritus Health, reviewing training materials, and then beginning to make calls. Those interested in contributing to this valuable service can obtain more information by calling 240-291-6365 or by contacting carecaller@meritushealth.com.
Curtiss-Wright Corp. said it has been awarded two contracts from TerraPower to design and supply plant simulation and digital control solutions for the Natrium advanced nuclear reactor design. Under the contracts, Curtiss-Wright will design and deliver the training simulator (TSN) and distributed control systems (DCS) for the Natrium plant.
The TSN is a full-scope simulator that will replicate plant equipment and simulate system conditions and operations to support operator training and licensing. The DCS is a digital platform that serves as a core component for automating control and operation of plant processes. In addition, Curtiss-Wright has been selected to develop two separate control systems for the Natrium plant: the NIC (nuclear island control system) and EIC (energy island control system). Under previously awarded contracts, Curtiss-Wright was selected to develop the reactor protection system (RPS) for the Natrium plant, as well as the software platform and engineering services for the Natrium engineering simulator.
“We are excited to support TerraPower in the development of their next-generation Natrium reactor design,” said Lynn M. Bamford, chair and CEO of Curtiss-Wright Corp. “Curtiss-Wright continues to build on its heritage as one of the leading global suppliers of nuclear reactor technologies, growing both organically and through acquisitions, and we remain in a strong position to support TerraPower in their efforts to de-carbonize the existing energy infrastructure through the creation of clean, reliable, and affordable energy.”
In 2020, TerraPower was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) to receive initial funding as part of a $3.2 billion program to develop and build advanced nuclear reactors. TerraPower’s Natrium reactor is a 345-MW sodium fast reactor coupled with breakthrough innovation—a patented molten salt energy storage system, providing built-in gigawatt-scale energy storage. The Natrium technology’s advanced design enables simultaneous production of carbon-free electricity, heat, and steam to support decarbonization of power and industrial sectors. TerraPower is building its first reactor in Kemmerer, Wyoming, and its first Natrium plant is expected to be online in 2030.
Curtiss-Wright maintains one of the most comprehensive and diverse portfolios of advanced nuclear power equipment, technology, and services globally to support both operating reactors and new build opportunities. Curtiss-Wright is performing the work within its Nuclear division in the Naval & Power segment.
—POWER edited this content, which was contributed by Curtiss-Wright’s marketing communications team.
India’s tech IPO season is here to stay, as yet another tech IPO sees massive response, despite a rather subdued market sentiment. The IPO of One MobiKwik Systems Ltd., popularly known as MobiKwik, concluded on a positive note on December 13. The Gurgaon-headquartered fintech company has been prominent in India’s growing digital payments landscape, and the firm saw its initial public offering oversubscribed by a total of 119.38 times.
Overall, the response to MobiKwik’s IPO drew interest from all investor categories. Retail individual investors (RIIs), a vital segment in gauging a company’s appeal to the public, oversubscribed their allocated shares 134.67 times. Non-institutional investors (NIIs) also demonstrated robust interest, subscribing 108.95 times their quota, while the Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs) portion was booked 119.50 times.
The IPO also attracted bids for over 141 crore equity shares against an offer size of just 1.18 crore shares, while retail participation alone accounted for bids amounting to 27.49 crore shares, far exceeding the allocated 20.50 lakh shares. The allotment of shares for the IPO is expected to be finalized by December 16, while the listing scheduled on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) is set to occur two days later, on December 18.
The Indian fintech firm had priced its IPO in the range of ₹265 to ₹279 per share, with the entire ₹572-crore issue comprising issuance of up to 2.05 crore equity shares. There was no offer-for-sale (OFS) component in this IPO, ensuring all proceeds are directed toward the company’s expansion plans. Post-IPO, the company is expected to achieve a valuation of approximately $250 million, according to a report by The Economic Times.
The IPO’s success was evident in the unofficial grey market as well, where the firm’s shares commanded a premium of ₹158 per share. This translates to an estimated 56% gain over the upper price band of ₹279. For now, the firm plans to use the proceeds from the IPO to further strengthen its presence in the fintech space, including investing in AI, machine learning, and financial and payment services, amongst others.
Speaking more about MobiKwik itself, the firm was founded in 2009 by Bipin Preet Singh and Upasana Taku. Since then, it has grown to become one of India’s leading digital financial services providers, and its portfolio includes a variety of fintech services. This includes digital payments, a buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) offering, and a payment gateway solution, and the company has actively targeted underserved regions, with 72% of its digital loan disbursements occurring in Tier 3 cities and beyond.
Despite reporting a net loss of ₹6.6 crore in the first quarter of FY25, MobiKwik clocked a growth in its operating revenue for the period – it amounted to ₹342.2 crore. Its payment gross merchandise value (GMV) grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 45.88% between FY22 and FY24, while its digital loan disbursement platform, ZIP, recorded a CAGR of 112.16% over the same period.
This weekend has something for everyone in Greater Morristown!
Scroll down for details. Check our handy calendar for even more activities–and add your own events, too.
THURSDAY, FEB. 27, 2025:
Free yoga continues at 10 am to the Morristown & Township Library. At One Miller Road, Morristown.
The Morristown & Township Library concludes its celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th birthday with a free screening of The Jane Austen Book Club (2007), at 6:45 pm. At One Miller Road, Morristown.
Also at the Morristown & Township Library, at 7 pm, Pioneer Productions presents live readings of three new short plays. Free. At One Miller Road, Morristown.
The Mayo Performing Arts Center presents Bilal at 7:30 pm. Tickets: $36-$58. At 100 South St., Morristown, 973-539-8008.
Drew University in Madison presents the play Mr. Burns at 7:30 pm. Admission: $5-$15. At the Kean Black Box Theatre, Lancaster Road.
FRIDAY, FEB. 28:
The Presbyterian Church in Morristown hosts a Chili Cook-Off and Silent Auction fundraiser at 6 pm. Tickets: $10. Register here. At the Parish House, 65 South St.
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Morristown hosts a SweetSwingSoiréefrom 7 pm to 10 pm. (Re-scheduled from Feb. 15.) Tickets: $35. Featuring the Bottle Hill Big Band. At 70 Maple Ave.
At 7:30 pm, the Folk Project’s Troubadour series presents Celtic supergroup Steve Gibb’s Jolly Beggars with opener Rachel Clemente. Admission: $15-$20; children 12 and under, free. Livestream: $10. At 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morris Township.
Steve Gibb and the Jolly Beggars.
The Longo Planetarium at the County College of Morris in Randolph presents two shows: One Sky: Sky Stories from Around the Globe at 7:30 pm, recommended for ages 6 and up, and Mars: The Ultimate Voyage at 9 pm, recommended for ages 8 and up. Admission: $10. Call 973-328-5076 for more. At 214 Center Grove Road.
Drew University in Madison presents the play Mr. Burns at 7:30 pm. See Thursday entry.
SATURDAY, MARCH 1:
The Morristown & Township Library hosts Indoor Qigong at 9:30 am. Free. No experience or registration required. Upstairs in the F.M. Kirby Gallery, at One Miller Road, Morristown.
Drew University in Madison presents the play Mr. Burns at 2 pm. See Thursday entry.
The Longo Planetarium at the County College of Morris in Randolph presents Mars: The Ultimate Voyage at 3:30 pm, recommended for ages 8 and up. Admission: $10. Call 973-328-5076 for more. At 214 Center Grove Road.
At 4:30 pm, the Madison Community Arts Center presents the Film Society of Summit: Oscar Nominated Documentary Shorts.Tickets: $15. At 10 Kings Road.
Then at 7:30 pm, the Madison Community Arts Center presents the Film Society of Summit: Oscar Nominated Documentary Shorts. Tickets: $15. At 10 Kings Road.
The Harmonium Choral Society presents Sing Me to Heaven at 7:30 pm at the Morristown United Methodist Church. Tickets: $25-$30. (Sunday encore at 3 pm.) At 50 South Park Place, 973-538-6969.
The Mayo Performing Arts Center presents RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles at 8 pm. Tickets: $47-$109. At 100 South St., Morristown, 973-539-8008.
SUNDAY, MARCH 2:
The Morris Winter Market at Convent Station commences at 9:30 am, and will return virtually every Sunday through April 27, 2025, from 9:30 am until 1 pm. Presented by Grow It Green Morristown.
The Bernardsville Cinema hosts a free 2 pm screening of the documentary American River, about efforts to reclaim the Passaic River. A Q&A with director Scott Morris will follow. At 5 Mine Brook Road. Reserve seats here.
The Harmonium Choral Society presents Sing Me to Heaven at 3 pm at the Morristown United Methodist Church. See Saturday entry for more.
The Madison Community Arts Center presents Jersey Jazz LIVE! Champian Fulton Trioat 3 pm. Tickets: $10-$15. At 10 Kings Road.
Celebrate Mardi Gras with Thaddeus Exposé, at 5 pm at the Morris Museum in Morris Township. Tickets: $23-$28. At 6 Normandy Heights Road, (973) 971-3700.
Candi Blessing will go from the cafeteria at Meritus Health to the mountains in Turin, Italy, on March 8.
Blessing, 39, of Smithsburg, is a member of Team USA competing in the Special Olympics World Winter Games, which will end March 15.
She’ll be making the trip with some help from her co-workers. The Meritus Health Foundation held a raffle fundraiser, with more than $2,300 going toward her expenses.
She has worked at Meritus for 11 years in nutrition services, but has been competing in Special Olympics for more than 30 years. Aside from snowshoeing, her sports include athletics, basketball and floor hockey. She competed in the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games in athletics in New Jersey.
“I get to meet a lot of new people,” Blessing said of her involvement in Special Olympics. “We all get along, and I enjoy the competition.”
As for her sport during the upcoming games, Blessing said she doesn’t mind the cold.
“Sometimes my coach makes me dress warmer,” she joked.
She said she is excited for her trip and competition, though she’s a little worried about getting proper rest with the time difference. Italy is six hours ahead of the East Coast.
More than 1,500 athletes from 102 delegations will compete in eight sports in an international demonstration of inclusion, acceptance and unity, according to the Special Olympics website for the Turin games.
Optifye.ai, a AI startup backed by Y Combinator, has recently faced significant backlash due to a controversial video demo. The startup, co-founded by Indian-origin entrepreneurs Vivaan Baid and Kushal Mohta, developed an AI-powered system that uses computer vision to monitor factory workers’ efficiency in real-time.
In the demo, the founders role-played as factory supervisors, identifying underperforming workers – referred to by numbers rather than names – and blaming them for not meeting productivity targets. Meanwhile, Y Combinator also posted this Optifye demo video on X and LinkedIn on Monday, which was seen and shared (with screenshots) by several users on the internet.
However many people found the concept dehumanizing and exploitative, leading to heavy backlash online. And due to the widespread criticism, Y Combinator removed the video from its social media channels. In fact, a social media user questioned, “Did YC promote a demo for slavery?”
Notably, the controversy surrounding Optifye.ai centers on ethical concerns about using AI for intensive worker surveillance, highlighting the delicate balance between technological advancement and workers’ rights.
One user labelled it ‘computer vision sweatshop software,’ suggesting it automates worker surveillance in an oppressive way. The criticism also extended to Hacker News, Y Combinator’s own discussion platform, where users debated the ethics of AI-powered worker monitoring.
“Leave it to a bunch of children who have never worked a real job a single day in their lives and still haven’t graduated college to come up with some obnoxious, slave-driving dystopian thing like this,” Christopher Amidon (Founder, Subsea Robotics) said in his X post.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Optifye.ai’s founders were inspired to create the software based on their personal experiences with family-run manufacturing businesses. They aimed to address challenges related to labour productivity by providing factory managers with precise, real-time data on worker performance.
Founded in 2024, Optifye.ai is a part of Y Combinator‘s current cohort. The startup uses cameras to monitor assembly lines and applies computer vision (AI that analyzes visual data) to detect inefficiencies, like slowdowns, stoppages, or errors in real-time, as mentioned on YC’s webpage. The debate over AI’s impact on employment is not new. Even, according to Goldman Sachs’ estimate, up to 300 million jobs could be lost globally by 2030 due to artificial intelligence adoption.
Al Franken had a near-capacity audience howling Monday with tales from Saturday Night Live and the United States Senate. But he could find no humor in Washington right now.
Hang tough, speak out often…and hope President Trump screws up, he advised fellow Democrats.
“Believe me, Trump will make lots of mistakes… he’s going to run into trouble,” the former Senator predicted at Morristown’s Mayo Performing Arts Center, as a speaker in the Drew Forum series.
Trump is flooding the zone with executive orders to make resistance difficult, if not futile, said Franken, 73. He voiced amazement that former Fox News host Pete Hegseth got confirmed as Secretary of Defense, and labeled Elon Musk’s drive to shutter the humanitarian United States Agency for International Development (USAID) “obscene.”
Al Franken, left, and moderator Charles Stile, a veteran New Jersey political reporter, at MPAC for the Drew Forum, Feb. 3, 2025. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
“We have the richest man in the world (who) did this, cut off funding USAID. I can’t think of anything more ironic than that,” he said.
Some might see irony in a disgraced ex-senator on the lecture circuit.
Franken resigned from the Senate in 2018 amidst allegations by eight women of unwanted kissing, touching, and advances. He denied any lascivious intent but apologized for his behavior and asked to testify before the Senate Ethics Committee. Before he could do so, fellow Democrats insisted he step down.
Nobody got to hear his side on Monday; the scandal never was broached.
Franken has told interviewers he has not ruled out another run for office. Onstage at MPAC, he was asked about the Senate, where he served for about a decade.
“I miss it terribly,” he said.
These days he’s working to bypass the “stupid” electoral college, which awarded the White House to Trump in 2016 and to George W. Bush in 2000 despite both men losing the popular vote.
The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is forging agreements among member states to pledge all their electoral college votes to the popular winner. So far, Franken said, 17 states with a combined 207 electoral votes have signed on; 270 votes are needed for victory.
SIDEBAR: THE 800-POUND GORILLA IN THE DREW FORUM: WHAT AL FRANKEN DIDN’T SAY, AND WASN’T ASKED
The evening was moderated by Charles Stile, a veteran New Jersey political reporter.
After describing post-election despair among Democrats, Stile looked apologetically at the audience. “Not to depress everybody…”
“That’s our goal,” Franken deadpanned. “To not have you leaving smiling.”
HORNY VS. SEXY
Spectators spilling onto South Street 80 minutes later looked amused by the inside baseball they had heard. A quick note here about Franken’s anecdotes:
You had to be there.
If a friend attended Monday’s talk, ask her to share the funniest bits. We can’t.
This is a family publication. (Whose family, we’re not sure.) Suffice it to say, there were some colorful moments as Franken dished about his dual lives.
Ask your friend about the the coup de grace Franken delivered in a joke-off with Ted Cruz, about whom he once famously said: “I like Ted Cruz more than most of my other colleagues like Ted Cruz. And I hate Ted Cruz.”
Al Franken and moderator Charles Stile at MPAC for the Drew Forum, Feb. 3, 2025. Photo by Kevin CoughlinFeb. 3, 2025. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Maybe your friend will share Franken’s clash with NBC over “horny” vs “sexy.” And then there is the “Placenta Helper” sketch that never made it onto SNL. (Censors have no sense of humor.)
Growing up Jewish in Minnesota yielded more comedic fodder. Franken admitted to toddling in Little Falls, but that doesn’t count.
Never shy about showcasing provocative figures over its three decades, the Drew Forum has presented past and future presidents; Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists and historians; comedian John Oliver and Trump critic Liz Cheney; and Gen. John Kelly, Trump’s former chief of staff.
Franken’s resume includes five Emmys, four NY Times best-sellers, two Grammys, a Harvard shingle, a progressive podcast, and a meteoric rise and thunderous fall in the Senate. Nobody else can riff about Capitol Hill giants like the late Sen. Harry Reid…and shift gears to cocaine buddy John Belushi and the legendary first season of SNL.
That show will mark its 50th anniversary with a star-studded TV special this month. About the fictional movie Saturday Night, Franken was succint. “They took liberties,” said the former writer, producer and cast member.
His favorite SNL skit was Dan Aykroyd playing TV chef Julia Child inflicting a mortal wound in the kitchen. Tom Davis, Franken’s script-writing partner, hid behind a counter “pumping fake blood with an insecticide sprayer.”
Hard-pressed to name his favorite cast member, Franken said it was no contest for least-favorite host. Steven Seagal was humorless, he said. Finishing a distant second: A patronizing Jeremy Irons. “He was a jerk.”
‘DON’T BE FUNNY!’
Franken said he is proud of casting the crucial 60th vote for the Affordable Care Act, and for passing a law helping foster children. Responding to a spectator’s written question about who would make an ideal president, Franken touted the late Senator and Vice President Hubert Humphrey, a fellow Minnesotan and early champion of civil rights.
“It was a tragedy that instead we got (Richard) Nixon” in 1968, Franken said.
Al Franken at MPAC for the Drew Forum, Feb. 3, 2025. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Franken’s shift from comedy to politics was spurred by the late Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone, whose vote against the Iraq War inspired him.
When Wellstone and his family died in a plane crash in 2003, Republican Norm Coleman won — and promptly boasted to a reporter that he was a “99 percent improvement” over his deceased predecessor.
“It was a disgrace…and I clobbered him,” Franken said. “By 312 votes.”
That was 2008. Recounts and court rulings took six months. When Franken finally settled into his Senate office, he needed reminding of his staff’s stern warnings: Don’t be funny!!!
One of Sen. Franken’s first official acts — from which his team ultimately dissuaded him– was sending congratulations to a 110-year-old constituent.
“Dear Ruth,” he wrote, “you have a bright future.”
Drew University’s Drew Forum is sponsored by the Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation. On April 28, 2025, the Forum will present comedian/author Andy Borowitz, with journalist Paula Zahn as narrator. Tickets are $47-$89.
Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has joined forces with a coalition of 23 attorneys general in a plea to the U.S. Supreme Court to safeguard a vital provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that ensures access to essential preventive care for millions. The coalition seeks to overturn a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management Inc., which challenged the constitutionality of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Before the ACA was implemented, many Americans could not afford preventive services like cancer screenings. To address this, the ACA requires most private insurance plans to cover preventive services recommended by the task force without out-of-pocket costs. These include copayments and deductibles.
Attorney General Brown emphasized the importance of preventive care, stating, “Preventive care gives Marylanders the chance to live long, healthy lives. No one should be denied lifesaving protection against serious and deadly diseases just because they can’t afford to pay for it.”
The brief argues that the Fifth Circuit’s decision misunderstands the constitutional structure of the task force, which is appointed and overseen by the secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services. It warns that striking down the provision could leave a considerable gap in health coverage—a gap that states are powerless to fill due to federal restrictions on regulating certain insurance plans.
Since the ACA’s inception in 2010, the preventive service provision has notably enhanced public health outcomes, expanded access to preventive services, and substantially reduced health disparities across socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic groups. As of 2020, around 151.6 million Americans benefited from these no-cost preventive services.
Attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin have joined Brown in this legal effort.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed its draft safety evaluation (SE) a month ahead of schedule—albeit with open items—for TerraPower’s Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1, a pioneering 345-MW sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) under development in Wyoming.
The NRC’s draft SE was initially expected by March 2025, but productive engagement between the regulatory agency and TerraPower’s subsidiary, US SFR Owner, LLC (USO), allowed for earlier-than-anticipated completion, the regulatory body said in a letter on Feb. 26.According to the NRC, the final SE is now targeted for June 2026, two months ahead of the previous August 2026 timeline. The environmental review remains separately on track for completion in May 2026. TerraPower has told POWER it anticipates receiving NRC approval in late 2026, which could allow nuclear construction to begin in early 2027—potentially sooner if processes move efficiently.
Kemmerer 1 is taking shape in Lincoln County, Wyoming, about 3 miles from PacifiCorp’s three-unit 604-MW coal and gas–fired Naughton Power Plant, furnished with up to $2 billion in authorized funding under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP). While the demonstration will be a fully functioning commercial power plant, it will showcase TerraPower’s first Natrium reactor, an 840 MWth pool-type Natrium SFR reactor. Kemmerer 1 will be a hybrid nuclear facility that will integrate the fourth generation reactor with a nitrate molten salt-based energy storage system that could boost the system’s output to between 100 MWe and 500 MWe of power for more than 5.5 hours when needed, ramping at 10% a minute.
While the NRC’s draft SE represents a crucial step in the licensing process—signaling the NRC’s thorough review of the Natrium reactor’s safety features and design—the agency has identified several outstanding issues that TerraPower must address. These include materials qualification for environmental compatibility, special treatment requirements for safety-significant structures, systems, and components, and the seismic/structural design approach for non-safety-related systems. The NRC has also requested additional documentation on the PRA’s use within the Licensing Modernization Project (LMP) and other licensing programs.
The LMP is designed to modernize the regulatory process for non-light water reactors by incorporating risk-informed approaches. The NRC’s request for further PRA documentation suggests that it is closely evaluating how TerraPower is applying risk insights to safety classifications and regulatory decision-making, a key factor in the licensing of first-of-a-kind (FOAK) reactors like Natrium.
When asked how the identified open items compare to issues typically encountered in licensing reviews for conventional nuclear plants, the NRC told POWER that open items are an expected part of draft safety evaluations, particularly for complex topics requiring additional analysis before final technical decisions. “The TerraPower application used the Licensing Modernization Project approach, which means some topics can apply to several review areas. When those topics are resolved, multiple parts of the evaluation will be addressed simultaneously. Issues such as materials qualification and PRA documentation have been open items in the past,” agency spokesperson Scott Burnell said.
The NRC noted the early draft evaluation stems from the agency’s extensive pre-application discussions and ongoing technical exchanges with TerraPower. Burnell added that the agency expects that lessons learned during this review will “lead to efficiency improvements down the road, whether for additional TerraPower applications or for other vendor submissions. For example, this continuous improvement effort bore significant results in completing review of the second Kairos construction permit application several months faster than the first Kairos review,” he said.
