NB Power has received permission from the Canadian nuclear regulator to load fuel into the refurbished single-unit Point Lepreau plant in New Brunswick. The Candu reactor is expected to restart later this year, having been offline for over four years.
The operating licence for Energy Northwest's Columbia Generating Station in Washington state has been extended for a further 20 years by the US nuclear regulator.
Moves to partially revoke an order to close the Garoña nuclear power plant in 2013 have formally begun._45x48.jpg "European nuclear countries (2012, ENSREG) 45x48")
Nuclear operators in Europe have taken "significant steps to improve the safety of their plants" as a result of stress tests, said regulators from the continent in a review of each others' work on the program.
The US nuclear regulator has issued a fine to Florida Power & Light (FPL) for failing to report that the ventilation system for the emergency response facility at its Turkey Point nuclear power plant had been taken out of service on two occasions.
Members of the Japanese cabinet have met publicly to discuss restarting reactors while the country's crisis of confidence in nuclear safety continues. At the centre of debate is the potential restart of two reactors at the Ohi plant.
Japan has moved a step closer to restarting the first of its nuclear reactors to be kept off line for tests following the Fukushima accident. Meanwhile, details on the country's revamped nuclear regulatory regime are starting to emerge.