Spiegel & McDiarmid’s nuclear practice assists state and local governments, cooperative utilities, public agencies, and labor unions in managing their nuclear power infrastructure and contracts. Our primary nuclear clients are wholesale requirements customers and minority owners of plants. Our expertise in the interplay between local, state and federal issues gives us the ability to assist clients with matters at every level of government across the nation, as well as in negotiating power sales and ownership contracts. In addition, some of our attorneys have nuclear engineering backgrounds.

Spiegel & McDiarmid attorneys have represented our clients before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), FERC and Congress on a range of policy issues, including such matters as license renewal, decommissioning criteria, maintenance requirements, enforcement policy, NRC performance assessment processes, and financial qualifications.

As nuclear generation is again viewed as an economically viable source of energy under market-based regulation, we anticipate that issues involving nuclear plant licensing and construction will increase. Spiegel & McDiarmid also assists clients with decommissioning and waste disposal issues.

Nuclear Power Plant Restructuring, Licensing and Asset Acquisition
Spiegel & McDiarmid provides transactional and regulatory assistance as to NRC aspects of plant licenses. We also represent minority owners in regulatory aspects of the transfer of ownership of nuclear facilities, including license extensions and asset transfers to merchant entities.

Spent Fuel and Decommissioning
The firm’s nuclear practice group has assisted clients in spent fuel, decontamination, and decommissioning issues. As plants are closed down or sold or interests are sold, minority owners need to be sure that they do not bear an excessive share of the various residual costs (e.g., unfunded decommissioning costs and spent fuel disposal costs), and we have assisted them with these issues.

International Nuclear Practice
The firm has provided advice to international clients on developments in U.S. nuclear regulation, international nuclear commerce, and related issues. In particular, we assisted the government of Austria in ensuring the safety of a nuclear power plant.

Nuclear Plant Antitrust Issues
Spiegel & McDiarmid attorneys have been involved in nuclear antitrust issues since the yellowcake uranium pricing cartel cases in the 1970s. We were also instrumental in ensuring access to ownership in nuclear plants. With the Midland decision, small or consumer-owned systems could buy shares in nuclear power plants and secure transmission rights.