Experts to Discuss National Developments in Used Nuclear Fuel Recycling and Disposal Initiatives at June 4 Community Engagement Panel Meeting

ROSEMEAD, Calif., May 26, 2026 — The SONGS Community Engagement Panel will host a joint meeting with the Spent Fuel Solutions coalition and an industry experts panel on June 4 to discuss recent developments in solving challenges with the offsite disposition of used nuclear fuel in the U.S.

Momentum is building across the public and private sectors around Department of Energy programs supporting advanced reactor deployment and Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses.

The CEP has invited leading experts to discuss the most promising options for clearing SONGS and other sites of used nuclear fuel. “I am very pleased to have these experts join us in San Clemente so that our community can hear firsthand their recommendations on opportunities to pursue offsite disposition of used nuclear fuel and other initiatives,” said CEP Chair Dan Stetson.

Panel members include Allison Macfarlane, former NRC Chair and member of the president’s Blue-Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future; Lake Barrett, a former senior official of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy; and Tom Isaacs, who was the lead advisor to the Blue-Ribbon Commission and former director of the Office of Policy with the U.S. DOE. Macfarlane and Barrett just recently published the report “The Path Forward,” which includes recommendations regarding the need for a trusted, funded, single-focus organization to help manage the federal used fuel program.

“Communities are increasingly finding their voices and advocating for away-from-reactor used fuel storage and disposal solutions,” shared Chris Wahl, executive director of Spent Fuel Solutions. “While initiatives such as the Innovation Campuses offer a lot of opportunities, enabling legislation is needed. The time is now for local voices to be heard in Washington, D.C., and action to occur.”

Additional updates regarding Spent Fuel Solutions coalition activities and SONGS’ demolition progress can be found in the read-only section of the presentation.

The hybrid meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. (PST) at the Casino San Clemente, 140 Avenida Pico, San Clemente, as well as online via Microsoft Teams video conference. Members of the public can view the video conference by visiting SONGScommunity.com, where they will find a link to the Microsoft Teams meeting and can register to participate in an hourlong public comment period. 

In June 2013, when SCE announced the retirement of SONGS Units 2 and 3, the company established the core principles of safety, stewardship and community engagement to guide the decommissioning. For more information, visit SONGScommunity.com, the Facebook page (@SONGScommunityPage) or subscribe to the YouTube channel (youtube.com/c/SONGScommunity). To learn more about efforts to clear San Onofre of spent fuel, visit Spent Fuel Solutions (spentfuelsolutionsnow.com) and join the coalition.

About Southern California Edison

An Edison International (NYSE: EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of approximately 15 million via 5 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.