State Senator George Borrello hosted a “Nuclear 101” Forum at SUNY Fredonia on July 1, 2026
A “Nuclear 101” Forum was recently held to help local elected officials and business leaders better understand the opportunities advanced nuclear could present for Dunkirk, Chautauqua County and the surrounding region.
Local leaders attended the forum at SUNY Fredonia that was hosted by State Senator George Borrello.
The event featured a panel of experts from academia, the nuclear industry, organized labor, finance and government who discussed advanced reactor technology, workforce development, project financing, nuclear safety, spent fuel management and regional siting considerations. Organized in partnership with the nonprofit Nuclear New York, the program was designed to give local decision-makers factual information as New York evaluates potential locations for future advanced nuclear development.
Borrello said the forum was intended to educate, not advocate, “The forum wasn’t about convincing anyone to support a particular project. It was about making sure our local elected officials, manufacturers and other stakeholders understand what advanced nuclear technology actually looks like today. These are not the plants people remember from decades ago. They’re smaller, safer, more flexible and designed to provide reliable, around-the-clock electricity for an economy that is becoming increasingly dependent on energy-intensive industries like advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence.”
The event comes as New York State advances plans to develop up to five gigawatts of new advanced nuclear generation. As part of that effort, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) invited upstate communities to express interest in hosting future projects, and Dunkirk was one of eight communities to submit an application.
Among the key takeaways shared by panelists were:
- Advanced nuclear reactors are very compact, with the heart of a gigawatt-scale reactor that could power roughly 1 million homes small enough to fit inside the Williams Center conference room where the forum was held. A full power plant facility would occupy only about 15 acres. Producing the same amount of electricity with solar would require roughly 30,000 acres.
- Federal support for advanced nuclear is substantial. Panelists noted that both the current and previous presidential administrations have supported expanding advanced nuclear generation, with federal incentives expected to cover approximately 30 to 50 percent of a project’s total cost.
- Construction timelines are improving. Advances in reactor design and federal permitting reforms are expected to significantly shorten timelines for new plants, including small modular reactors.
- Dunkirk has several competitive advantages including existing transmission infrastructure, an experienced energy workforce, and the former NRG generating station which positions the community well should New York pursue an advanced nuclear project in Western New York. Earlier this year, the property was acquired by Genover, a company specializing in redeveloping legacy industrial sites, which is now leading planning for its future use.
- Skilled trades representatives said advanced nuclear projects support hundreds of high-paying jobs, with approximately 700 workers needed to support each gigawatt of power generation and average skilled labor salaries approaching six figures.
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