The nuclear industry is entering a new era defined by capacity expansion, life extensions, restarts, and the push for advanced reactors.
Realizing this growth depends on a modernized operating model that bridges legacy systems with digital, AI-enabled capabilities. Developed through a multi-year collaboration between ScottMadden and Idaho National Laboratory under DOE’s LWRS program, the Integrated Operations for Nuclear (ION) framework offers a practical, scalable approach to improving performance today while preparing fleets and developers for tomorrow’s buildout.
In this webinar, experts from ScottMadden shared lessons learned from modernization pilots, outlined the ongoing evolution toward ION-AI, and discussed how these principles apply to both the existing nuclear fleet and next-generation SMR and advanced reactor programs. Viewers gained a clear perspective on how integrated operations connect modernization investments, federal incentives, digital readiness, and long-term fleet sustainability.
During the session, attendees learned how to:
Understand why modernization is foundational to sustaining today’s nuclear fleet and enabling future capacity expansion, including how policy and incentives are reshaping investment decisions
Identify the highest-value opportunities for integrated operations, based on real-world lessons from ION pilots and work reduction studies with utilities and national labs
Recognize the capabilities required for digital and AI-enabled operations, including data readiness, governance, and phased maturity planning under the ION-AI framework
Apply ION principles to SMR and advanced reactor programs by embedding integrated governance, digital systems, and workforce models early in the design and deployment lifecycle