SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 22, 2026--
America has spent decades searching for a better answer to one of nuclear energy’s toughest questions: what to do with used nuclear fuel that can remain hazardous for thousands of years. Now, General Atomics (GA) is taking on a lead industrial role in a collaborative project to develop technology that could make large-scale nuclear waste processing more practical and affordable in the United States.
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The work is part of NEWTON, a program led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). Short for Nuclear Energy Waste Transmutation Optimized Now, NEWTON is exploring new approaches to processing used nuclear fuel. Working alongside collaborators Jefferson Lab, Stellant Systems and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, GA was awarded a contract to develop a prototype radio frequency (RF) system using a technology known as magnetron combining. The goal is to develop a more efficient and affordable way to power the equipment used for transmutation, a process that transforms nuclear waste into forms that are easier to manage.
“We’re proud to step into this larger role on a project with the potential to change how the country thinks about nuclear waste,” said Dr. Drew Packard, scientist for General Atomics Energy. “Our team combines cutting-edge scientific and industrial expertise to deliver key technology that could help advance future transmutation systems toward practical, large-scale operation.”
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. nuclear reactors have generated more than 90,000 metric tons of used nuclear fuel, with roughly 2,000 additional metric tons produced each year. Much of it remains stored at nuclear power plants nationwide. Countries such as France recover usable materials from used fuel for use in new fuel, but high costs, government investment requirements and other challenges have limited commercial recycling in the United States.
NEWTON scientists believe transmutation could be the key to overcoming many of these challenges. The process uses powerful machines called particle accelerators to direct tiny, high-energy particles at some of the most hazardous materials in used nuclear fuel. This triggers reactions that change those materials into forms that remain hazardous for much shorter periods, potentially making nuclear waste easier to manage. However, treating waste on a large scale would require accelerators that consume enormous amounts of electricity, making energy use and cost major barriers to commercial use.
This is where GA and its collaborators come in. As part of the broader effort, the team will design, procure and integrate an RF system that combines the power of multiple magnetrons. These devices generate microwave energy, which is brought together into a single, high-power source to help operate the accelerator. The goal is to demonstrate a more efficient approach that could reduce electricity consumption and lower the operating costs of future accelerators.
“This project is President Trump’s nuclear renaissance in action — putting the same basic technology behind a kitchen microwave to work on one of nuclear energy’s toughest challenges, spent fuel,” said Conner Prochaska, director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. “By making particle accelerators smaller, cheaper and more efficient, General Atomics and its partners could help reduce the impact of nuclear waste destined for permanent disposal, strengthen American leadership in nuclear innovation, and help usher in a new golden age of American energy.”
General Atomics has advanced nuclear technology since the 1950s, from developing the TRIGA research reactor to supporting major fusion breakthroughs. The company operates the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, built the ITER Central Solenoid and produced precision components that contributed to the historic achievement of fusion ignition at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Building on that experience, GA’s work on the magnetron combiner will complement technologies being developed by Jefferson Lab, Stellant Systems and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. If the prototype performs as planned, it could be prepared for future integration with other components into larger accelerator systems, moving the team toward a more complete demonstration.
The potential reaches beyond nuclear waste. More efficient, lower-cost accelerators could also support medical isotope production, help break down persistent chemicals such as PFAS, often called “forever chemicals,” and enable other advanced nuclear energy applications.
“This project brings together the strengths of American industry and the national laboratory community to address a persistent challenge that demands new technical solutions,” Packard said. “That is what makes this work exciting. It could give the United States another practical option for dealing with used nuclear fuel while opening new possibilities for accelerator technology.”
For more information about NEWTON, visit ARPA-E’s NEWTON program page. To learn more about General Atomics’ work in energy, including fission and fusion, visit GA’s Energy Systems and Products page.
About General Atomics
Since the dawn of the atomic age, General Atomics has advanced science and technology across fields including nuclear energy, defense, medicine and high-performance computing. With a global team of scientists, engineers and professionals, GA applies its experience and capabilities to deliver safe, sustainable, economical and innovative solutions for complex challenges.
AI-generated conceptual visualization of the magnetron combiner system being developed to help reduce the cost of nuclear waste treatment. Courtesy General Atomics.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The backlash over an Ohio campaign advertisement attacking Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for governor, spread beyond the state's borders Thursday, causing fresh headaches for Republicans with less than two weeks until the midterm elections.
The latest episode began when Gov. Mike DeWine criticized Vivek Ramaswamy, a fellow Republican that he endorsed as his successor, for running an ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother criticizing her. Acton’s mother lost custody of her children decades ago after her husband was indicted for raping Acton as a child.
But President Donald Trump took the opposite approach hours later, posting on social media that Ramaswamy’s ad was “hitting pay dirt” and questioning DeWine's loyalty to the party.
Trump's stance only hardened throughout the day. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said, “Amy Acton’s mother said horrible things about Amy Acton" and “she's fair game.”
And at a campaign rally in Iowa, Trump regaled the crowd with a story about how Ramaswamy called him to ask for advice.
“You’ve got to ride with it,” Trump recalled telling Ramaswamy, a biotech billionaire and former presidential candidate. Trump expressed jealousy that he didn't have such a strong ad to run during his own campaigns.
“I told him to leave it up and look upstairs and say: ‘Thank you, God, very much. I appreciate it,’” Trump added. “I only wish I could have had an ad like that against somebody.”
Trump’s aggressive defense of Ramaswamy practically guarantees that more of his party’s candidates will face questions about the issue at a moment when they already risk being dragged down by the president’s low popularity.
Rep. Ashley Hinson, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Iowa, was asked about it before appearing with Trump at the rally.
She told ABC News the ad is “absolutely terrible" and “I think they should take the ad down."
Ramaswamy's campaign has said it plans to spend $4 million to show the ad online and on television.
The controversy has became the latest test of the bounds of acceptable political discourse.
In western Michigan, former Republican Rep. Fred Upton said the ad had spread throughout his community as people heard about it on the radio and television or were asked about it by others.
“They asked me about it at the bank today,” Upton said, adding that the ad “speaks horribly of the gutter politics that some rely on.”
An influential Ohio Republican, former Rep. Jim Renacci, posted a lengthy essay on social media overnight suggesting that “the floor may have just fallen out from under the Republican campaign for Ohio Governor” and urging everyone in the party to distance themselves from it.
Ohio U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, who is being challenged by former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, said he would not have run the ad. So did Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who is running for state auditor.
At a gathering with reporters at the Ohio Statehouse on Thursday, DeWine recalled the painful experiences of rape victims he dealt with as a county prosecutor and state attorney general.
“It’s wrong to run this ad,” he said. “And, even at this late time — my wife, Fran, saw the ad just run this morning on TV — I would just urge the Ramaswamy campaign to take this down.”
The governor stopped short of pulling his backing for Ramaswamy. DeWine recalled that a previous line of attack by the Acton campaign had mentioned Ramaswamy's mother, and the governor said that was also wrong because “family members have always historically been off limits." However, DeWine noted that the topic was never used in a multimillion-dollar ad campaign.
Acton's criticism cited an investigative report into Geetha Ramaswamy's role at a pharmaceutical company run by her son, whom Acton and Democrats described as “hiring his own mother to manipulate clinical trial data.” The Ramaswamy campaign called those claims “slanderous.”
“Governor DeWine is correct that the first and only candidate to attack the mother of her opponent in this race was Amy Acton,” Ramaswamy spokesperson Connie Luck said in a statement, adding, "We refuse to accept the media's double standards.”
The Ramaswamy campaign video features Acton’s birth mother, Donna Arthur, calling her “a liar” and insinuating she has mental health issues.
Acton, Ohio’s COVID-19-era health director, has made no secret of facing homelessness and abuse as a child. Arthur lost custody of her children after their stepfather, Arthur's husband, was indicted on a charge of rape involving Acton.
The abuse allegedly happened from December 1976 to April 1978. Cledith Arthur failed to show for a court appearance and became a fugitive. Donna Arthur remained married to him until his death in 2004.
Acton's campaign on Tuesday posted a video of her brother, who supported her backstory about living in a tent and being abused.
Republican Vice President JD Vance, an Ohio native son, expressed disgust with Republicans “whining” about the ad while he visited the state on Wednesday.
Amid the turmoil, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou posted what sounded like a warning, or a threat.
“The final days of a tough campaign are always the best time to find out who is really with you and who just posts and pretends,” he wrote. “Yes — we are keeping score.” The quote was followed by a winking-eye emoji.
While Republicans are at odds over the ad, Democrats have rallied to support Acton.
“Child abuse and sexual assault should never be weaponized to score partisan points," Democratic Governors Association spokesperson Izzi Levy said. "Governor DeWine is right — Vivek Ramaswamy’s ad is beyond troubling, and he should take it down immediately and apologize to survivors everywhere and all those hurt by this reprehensible attack.”
Illinois first lady MK Pritzker said she donated $500,000 to Acton’s campaign because of the ad.
Associated Press reporters Joey Cappelletti contributed from Washington and Thomas Beaumont contributed from Sioux City, Iowa.
A boy covers his face with an American flag as President Donald Trump walks past before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
A boy covers his face with an American flag as President Donald Trump walks past before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before walking to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
FILE - Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, speaks at an event at the National Governors Association Winter Meeting, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert, File)
President Donald Trump listens as gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at a campaign rally at the Covelli Centre, in Youngstown, Ohio, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
