Top Innovative Practice Awards

The Top Innovative Practice (TIP) awards highlight the nuclear industry’s most innovative techniques and ideas. They promote the sharing of fresh ideas and best practices, and consequently improve safety, work processes and the competitive position of the industry. The TIP awards are open to individuals and teams from all NEI member utilities that over the past three years have created and implemented transferable:

• New practices
• Enhanced processes
• Improved technology

The awards are sponsored by Framatome, GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Westinghouse, and NEI.

To be considered for a TIP Award, the new process or practice can come from any area of utility operations including, but not limited to, improvements in plant operations, plant support, communications and outreach, or innovative business practices. The process or practice must have already been implemented and address innovation, safety, cost-savings impact, productivity and efficiency, transferability, communications, or vision and leadership.

2026 TIP Awards

Now accepting submissions through Wednesday, May 6.

Learn more about the submission process by checking out the instructions and viewing an example entry form. 

2026 TIP Submission Instructions

Submit for a 2026 NEI TIP Award

2025 TIP Awards

The 2025 TIP awardees were honored at the 2025 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX) in Atlanta. Below is our full list of 2025 TIP awardees.

Constellation Energy

• Innovative Use of Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing Provides Significant Financial Savings and Schedule Efficiencies
• Generation Loss Prevention for Limerick Digital Modernization Project
• Overwatch Core Verification Support with Visual Inspection Capabilities - GE Vernova Hitachi Vendor Award

Dominion Energy

• Nuclear Fleet Deployment, Utilization, and Facilitation of 3D Printing Technologies

Duke Energy

• RNP Core Barrel Upper Girth Weld Mitigation - Framatome Vendor Award

Holtec

• Innovative Machining and Welding Equipment Automation for Remote Operation to Reduce Worker Radiological Dose During RVCH Head IGSCC Alloy 600 Mitigation - Westinghouse Combustion Engineering and Framatome Joint Vendor Award

Pacific Gas and Electric Company

• 1st Nuclear Trained AI Search Tool
• How to Capitalize on External Outreach During a Nuclear Resurgence - Communications Award

Talen Energy

• Nuclear Co-Op Program Recruits Highschool Seniors as Outage Workers for the Talen Energy’s Susquehanna Nuclear Unit 2 2025 Refueling & Inspection Outage - Training Award

Tennessee Valley Authority

• Spent Fuel Pool Panel Extraction and Coupon Harvesting
• Inflatable Paint Booth for Equipment Decontamination and Refurbishment

Southern Nuclear Operating Company

• Installation of the First ATF Fuel Rods with Enrichments Exceeding 5 wt% Uranium 235 Into a Commercial Reactor - Westinghouse Vendor Award

Check out the 2025 TIP Award Videos on NEI's YouTube channel!