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Most US uranium for nuclear fuel still comes from foreign sources
Foreign suppliers account for 93 percent of US uranium, raising energy security and cost risks as the aging nuclear fleet faces more retirements than new builds.
OilPrice reports the Trump administration is pushing for a homegrown nuclear power renaissance, but the US nuclear fleet is aging, with more plants being decommissioned than coming online.
The outlet says the United States is heavily dependent on foreign imports for nuclear fuel, with 93 percent of its uranium coming from abroad, creating energy security concerns tied to concentrated supply chains.
OilPrice notes that uranium production and enrichment are carried out by a small number of players, many of whom operate within supply chains controlled by Russia, and it cites a January Stanford Energy report warning that tight uranium supplies, geopolitical risks, and rising costs could threaten existing reactor economics and advanced reactor development.
With other countries also planning nuclear revivals, the article adds that competition for scarce uranium supply could become a major bottleneck.