SEATTLE—A potential fuel supply crunch threatening the U.S. nuclear energy industry's growth could emerge as early as 2028, experts warned at the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council’s 13th annual Advanced Reactors Summit, even as the Department of Energy pours billions into domestic uranium enrichment efforts.
The Department of Energy has invested billions to incentivize domestic production of enriched uranium for advanced nuclear reactors, including $2.7 billion issued last month to three companies tasked with building centrifuges and processing plants essential for producing fuel for reactor cores.
Speaking to more than 400 nuclear industry professionals on the summit's final day, Feb. 12, Centrus Energy Senior Vice President Patrick Brown emphasized the urgency of onshore fuel production. “If America wants to lead in advanced reactors, we have to do the nuclear fuel here. Make no mistake about that,” Brown declared.
Brown highlighted the industry's precarious starting point: “Unfortunately, we’re really building from zero.” He noted that less than 1 percent of the nuclear fuel consumed annually by the nation’s 94 commercial reactors is produced domestically, and that small share is exclusively dedicated to the Pentagon.
The commercial nuclear energy sector remains “completely reliant on foreign imports” of enriched uranium, primarily sourced from Kazakhstan and Canada, leaving it vulnerable amid growing demand for advanced reactors.
Summit participants expressed concerns that this fuel shortfall could undermine President Donald Trump’s “nuclear renaissance” initiatives, stalling progress despite recent federal investments aimed at bolstering the domestic supply chain.
The two-day event in Seattle, which concluded on Feb. 12, underscored the gap between ambitious policy goals and the current infrastructure reality facing the U.S. nuclear industry.
