Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm recently announced a partnership with a Maryland-based company aimed at increasing domestic production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), which is used in nuclear reactors.
According to a Nov. 10 news release, the U.S. Department of Energy established a $150 million cost-shared award with American Centrifuge Operating, a subsidiary of Centrus Energy Corp. The partnership is intended to increase domestic capabilities to produce HALEU, which is used in nuclear reactors to attain longer operating cycles and greater efficiency, but it is not currently available at a commercial scale from domestic sources.
“Reducing our reliance on adversarial nations for HALEU fuel and building up our domestic supply chain will allow the U.S. to grow our advanced reactor fleet and provide Americans with more clean, affordable power,” Granholm said in the release. “This demonstration shows DOE’s commitment to working with industry partners to kickstart HALEU production at commercial scale to create more clean energy jobs and ensure the benefits of nuclear energy are accessible to all Americans.”
A greater domestic supply of HALEU will enable nuclear facilities to provide power for "more homes and businesses with clean, affordable energy while playing a critical role in reaching President Biden’s goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035," according to the release.
Although nuclear energy is reportedly inexpensive and efficient compared to other sources of clean energy such as wind and solar, nuclear projects in the U.S. face a lengthy licensing process from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Tim Cavanaugh wrote in an opinion piece for The Hill. The NRC was established in 1975, and since then, only two new nuclear reactors have been approved and are scheduled to begin operating, both in Georgia. Cavanaugh argued "it’s time to change the regulatory framework for what is already the safest form of energy on the planet."
The U.S. has generated nuclear energy from commercial plants since 1958, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Nuclear power plants have maintained a consistent share of about 20% of total annual U.S. electricity generation from 1990 through 2019. Nuclear plants run at an average of approximately 93% capacity factor, which is higher than that of any other power source.
The EIA noted the NRC's review process for proposed new reactors can take up to five years to complete.
