Los Alamos forum spotlights New Mexico's nuclear ecosystem

The inaugural Los Alamos Nuclear Forum will bring together leaders in nuclear energy, fusion, space, medicine, AI, the grid and stewardship on Aug. 25 in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Organizers say the event is designed to show that America’s nuclear future depends on a full deployment ecosystem, not just reactors.

Why it matters: - New Mexico is trying to position itself as a full-spectrum nuclear hub, not just a place that hosts reactors. - The forum aims to connect technologies, policy, workforce, capital and stewardship in one place, which organizers frame as necessary for real deployment. - The agenda reflects how nuclear now overlaps with data centers, grid reliability, space systems, medicine, national security and environmental cleanup.

What happened: - The inaugural Los Alamos Nuclear Forum will take place Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, at SALA Event Center & Theater in Los Alamos, New Mexico. - The event will include in-person and virtual participation. - The NM Nuclear Innovation Showcase, billed as “Five Minutes to Change the Future,” will give presenters about five minutes each to pitch technologies, projects and deployment opportunities. - Scott Lopez, founder and CEO of the New Mexico Nuclear Alliance, said the forum is meant to show the connected nuclear ecosystem in one place. - More information is available at LosAlamosNuclearForum.com.

The details: - The showcase will feature Carrie Freeman of Eden Radioisotopes, Andy Phelps of Space Nuclear Corporation, Dr. John Kline of Los Alamos National Laboratory, Daria Sayan of Grants Energy – General Atomics Uranium Resources, Greyson Buckingham of DISA USA, Gretchen Lynn Gano of Sandia National Laboratories and Casey DeRaad of NewSpace Nexus. - James Zahler, program director at Los Alamos National Laboratory's Feynman Center for Innovation, will moderate. - The showcase will cover fusion, nuclear medicine and radioisotopes, space nuclear technology, uranium and the fuel cycle, environmental remediation, national laboratory innovation and commercialization. - The forum agenda says the presentations will focus on technologies, deployment opportunities, major projects and partnerships moving ideas toward real-world applications. - Sandia National Laboratories' Holistic Advanced Reactor Capabilities Center, or SHARCC, brings together capabilities across the nuclear energy and facility system rather than one reactor design. - SHARCC's scope includes informed design, physical and cyber security, safeguards and non-proliferation, safety and emergency response, transportation and storage, energy conversion, grid resilience, disposal assessment, knowledge management and quality systems. - Chris Stanek, director of nuclear energy programs at Los Alamos National Laboratory, will open with a talk titled “Powering America's Next Industrial Era.” - Stanek's session will connect AI, data centers, industrial reshoring, defense manufacturing, Permian Basin electrification, water infrastructure and demand for reliable 24/7 power. - Janet Lee-Sheriff, director of the CLEAN Energy Association of New Mexico and CEO of Verdera Energy Group, will give opening remarks on New Mexico's nuclear leadership, uranium's role in the fuel cycle, the state's uranium legacy and the need for transparency and collaboration. - Leaders from Urenco USA, Laramide Resources, General Atomics Uranium Resources, NANO Nuclear Energy and Sandia National Laboratories will discuss uranium, ISR recovery, LEU and HALEU pathways, enrichment and domestic fuel security. - Antares Industries, Eden Radioisotopes, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories will examine advanced reactors and microreactors for utilities, defense, industry, data centers and other infrastructure needing reliable power. - A research-to-deployment discussion will link national laboratories, universities, industry and policymakers on technology transfer, commercialization, advanced manufacturing and workforce development. - Participants in that discussion include New Mexico State Sen. Ant Thornton, New Mexico Tech professor Van Romero and Sandia's Gretchen Lynn Gano. - The forum will also cover infrastructure capital, project finance, public-private partnerships, customers and offtake, technology readiness, fuel availability and regulatory certainty. - The Waste Management, Transportation & Long-Term Stewardship session will include State Rep. Randall “Randy” Pettigrew; Bobby St. John of Salado Isolation Mining Contractors at WIPP; Gregory T. Roselle of Sandia National Laboratories; and Waste Control Specialists, with Sylvia Saltzstein of Sandia National Laboratories Emeritus moderating. - That discussion will address WIPP, legacy uranium impacts, abandoned uranium mine cleanup, RECA and Downwinders, transportation and storage, environmental cleanup, community and Tribal engagement and long-term stewardship. - Lopez said New Mexico's nuclear experience shows that innovation and stewardship need to advance together. - Sandia will moderate The Grid-Nuclear Nexus, which will look at AI and data-center demand, grid reliability and resilience, advanced nuclear integration, microreactors and emerging grid architectures. - Frontier Nuclear Technologies will explore fusion, space nuclear power and propulsion, nuclear medicine and radioisotopes, environmental remediation and national-security applications. - Eric Skrmetta, principal deputy under secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy, will close the forum with “Deploying America's Nuclear Future.” - The New Mexico Nuclear Alliance says it advances advocacy, policy and economic development across New Mexico's full-cycle nuclear ecosystem. - The alliance says its work includes RECA awareness and outreach, recognition of New Mexico's nuclear legacy and support for innovation, jobs, energy security, national security and responsible nuclear development. - A LinkedIn profile for Scott Lopez is listed here: Scott Lopez's profile.

Between the lines: - The forum is built around a broader argument: nuclear deployment now depends on an ecosystem that includes regulation, finance, workforce, infrastructure and public trust. - The mix of speakers suggests the industry is moving beyond power generation alone and into adjacent markets where nuclear capabilities may matter most. - By pairing deployment talks with stewardship and cleanup, organizers are signaling that legacy obligations are part of the nuclear value proposition, not separate from it.

What's next: - The Los Alamos Nuclear Forum will run Aug. 25 with a schedule that moves from innovation showcases to grid integration and frontier technologies. - Organizers expect the event to serve as a networking and policy platform for projects that could move from concept toward construction. - The forum's close is meant to frame the next phase of U.S. nuclear development as one of coordinated deployment across multiple sectors. - The bottom line: Los Alamos is trying to sell a simple message — America's nuclear future will be built by a system, not a single reactor.