Commodities
Home›Commodities›Mining›U.S. uranium output rises, but most reactor fuel still…
U.S. uranium output rises, but most reactor fuel still comes from abroad
U.S. production hit 2.1 million pounds in 2025 and 2.13 million pounds in the first half of 2026, while operators bought 46.9 million pounds of uranium last year, according to the EIA.
U.S. uranium production is increasing, but nuclear-plant fuel sourcing remains heavily import dependent, according to Energy Information Administration data cited by OilPrice.
Output rose to 2.1 million pounds in 2025, the highest level since 2017, and reached 2.13 million pounds in the first half of 2026. Second-quarter production increased 4.7% to 1.09 million pounds.
Even with the ramp up, U.S. nuclear-plant operators purchased 46.9 million pounds of uranium in 2025, more than 22 times what was produced domestically. Uranium of U.S. origin accounted for 7% of deliveries, while Canada, Kazakhstan, and Australia supplied a combined 75%.
OilPrice also points to expanding activity in the domestic supply chain, with exploration drilling up by two-thirds to 1.02 million feet in 2025 and spending on land, drilling, production, and reclamation rising 47% to $234.7 million, the highest level since 2014. Six facilities produced uranium in the second quarter of 2026, with additional in-situ recovery plants on standby and other proposed projects adding planned capacity.