U.S. Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain Faces National Security Risks

The United States faces significant vulnerabilities in its nuclear fuel supply chain while attempting to expand energy capacity for decarbonization and artificial intelligence demands. Currently, foreign markets provide 93% of the raw uranium delivered to U.S. reactors, with Russia controlling nearly half of the global enrichment capacity.

To mitigate these risks, the National Enrichment Facility in New Mexico is expanding its output to reach 7 million separative work units, reporting that the project is ahead of schedule and on budget. Additionally, the Urenco Group operates a New Mexico plant that currently covers approximately one-third of U.S. enrichment demand.

Despite these efforts, a broader Western deficiency persists. The West requires roughly 44,000 metric tons of uranium feedstock annually but possesses only 34,000 tons of processing capacity. Stanford Energy reports that this reliance on Russian and Chinese producers constitutes a national security risk, noting that a total cutoff of Russian supplies could leave Western reactors dependent on a single Chinese facility.