Trump Administration Wants to Give Cold War-Era Plutonium to Nuclear Energy Start Ups
Gizmodo • • business
Key Points:
- The U.S. Department of Energy has selected five companies for advanced negotiations to convert surplus plutonium from dismantled nuclear warheads into fuel for advanced nuclear reactors under the Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program.
- Oklo, one of the selected companies, plans to collaborate with Paris-based Newcleo to develop plutonium-based fuel, aiming to alleviate fuel supply constraints in advanced reactor development.
- Other companies chosen for negotiations include Exodys Energy, SHINE Technologies, Standard Nuclear, and Flibe Energy, reflecting a broader push to expand domestic nuclear fuel supplies and innovation.
- The Trump administration has strongly supported nuclear energy expansion, signing executive orders to accelerate reactor construction and redirecting surplus plutonium from disposal to potential fuel use.
- Critics, including the Nuclear Threat Initiative, warn that repurposing plutonium as fuel could increase proliferation risks by creating weapons-usable material and encouraging nuclear weapons development globally.