Jakarta, INTI - The United States government announced on Wednesday that it is inviting US states to share their interest in hosting facilities related to the nuclear fuel lifecycle, including nuclear waste storage and spent fuel reprocessing.
According to the Department of Energy, the proposed facilities, referred to as Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses, would receive federal backing to support the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors, as well as co-located data centers. The campuses could also be used for uranium enrichment, with states asked to submit their responses by April 1.
The initiative aligns with President Donald Trump’s plan to expand US nuclear power capacity fourfold to 400 gigawatts by 2050, as electricity demand rises for the first time in decades. This increase is being driven in part by growing energy needs from AI-related data centers and cryptocurrency operations.
The move represents a policy shift aimed at addressing a long-standing challenge facing the US nuclear sector: the management of radioactive waste. Securing public and local support for waste storage facilities is widely viewed as a key factor in achieving the administration’s ambitious nuclear expansion targets.
Private, State, Federal Support
The Department of Energy (DOE) stated that it is looking for approaches that emphasize private and state investment, while relying on federal support that is “targeted, conditional, and time-limited.”
“Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses give us the opportunity to work directly with states on regional priorities that support President Trump’s vision to revitalize America’s nuclear base,” US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement.
Wright has previously indicated that the department’s loan office, which has hundreds of billions of dollars in lending capacity, is expected to direct the majority of its financing toward nuclear power projects.
Concerns at the local level over radioactive and toxic nuclear waste have slowed the expansion of nuclear energy in recent years. Currently, nuclear waste is stored at power plant sites, initially in spent fuel pools and later in reinforced concrete and steel casks.
Allowing states to host deep underground waste repositories in return for federal assistance and support in attracting investment for nuclear power development would mark a shift away from the long-standing plan to store waste at Nevada’s Yucca Mountain.
Since 1987, the department had designated Yucca Mountain as a single national repository for U.S. nuclear waste. However, the project was halted by former President Barack Obama following strong opposition from Nevada lawmakers, despite the federal government having spent at least $15 billion on the site over multiple administrations.
Following the suspension of the Yucca Mountain project, the DOE adopted a consent-based approach to nuclear waste siting, although no permanent storage facility has yet been approved.
Separately, former President Ronald Reagan lifted a ban on nuclear waste reprocessing, a process that involves extracting uranium and plutonium for reuse in reactors. Despite this policy change, US companies have not pursued commercial-scale reprocessing due to high costs. The practice has also faced opposition from non-proliferation advocates, who argue that reprocessing facilities could become targets for militants seeking materials for improvised nuclear weapons.
Conclusion
The US initiative reflects a broader shift in nuclear energy policy, combining private and state investment with limited federal support to address long-standing challenges in waste management. By exploring new approaches to nuclear waste storage and reprocessing, the strategy aims to unlock nuclear power expansion while balancing economic, environmental, and security concerns. However, public acceptance, regulatory clarity, and cost considerations will remain critical factors in determining whether these plans can successfully reshape the future of the US nuclear industry.
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