The Trump administration is pushing for more nuclear power
Energy Secretary Chris Wright joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss the impact Operation Epic Fury is having on gas and oil prices and his upcoming visit to the New York shutdown.
NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
America’s nuclear renaissance will not be built only in Washington. Just as the states that had the foresight to build today’s nuclear arsenals are enjoying the benefits, the states that are rebuilding our nuclear industrial base will reap the rewards of the restart. President Donald Trump understands this fact, which is why he took executive action last May to give states priority in rebuilding our nuclear infrastructure.
Since then, the Department of Energy has developed a clear framework focused on continuing federally-led efforts to renew the full nuclear fuel cycle at home and revitalize America’s nuclear industry.
The concept of the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus proposes federal centers that direct local and international resources to increase the industrial capacity of the region, drive economic growth and restore technological leadership in this very important sector.
This government-led model builds on America’s past successes, where the nation once built a thriving, fully integrated nuclear enterprise. At the height of nuclear weapons development in America in the 1960s and 1970s, reactors were going up from North Carolina to Arkansas while domestic enrichment in Kentucky and Ohio, fuel production in Washington and South Carolina, and commercial reprocessing in New York were supported by a closed fuel cycle.
US POWER CUNCH LOOMS AS OKLO CEO SAYS GRID CANNOT CONTINUE WITHOUT NEW INVESTMENT
President Donald Trump supports a government-backed plan to restore America’s nuclear power. (Getty Images)
In these states and others, the development of nuclear weapons created permanent infrastructure, highly specialized personnel, and technology that supported the industry for decades. From heavy reactor vessels built in Pennsylvania to advanced control systems and specialized equipment manufactured throughout the Midwest, the nuclear business anchored the region’s industry and strengthened the local economy.
In the decades that followed, the integrated company withered, its decline driven by an increasingly unpredictable regulatory environment and a negative public perception that nuclear weapons could not compete in a world of cheap natural gas and deregulated electricity markets.
In 1977, the Carter administration further worsened the environment by delaying the trade review amid concerns about proliferation. That decision has contributed to the growth of waste collection across the country, just as our supporters have demonstrated safe and secure fuel recycling for decades.
TRUMP ADMIN GETS $1B IN HUGE NUCLEAR REACTOR RESTART IN COUNTRY’S HISTORIC MELTDOWN
Over time, domestic enrichment capabilities declined, fuel generation and conversion capabilities merged, and specialized manufacturing migrated or disappeared, destroying the industrial base that once supported the full nuclear life cycle.
As the US retreated from fuel cycle integration, competitors built vertically integrated nuclear plants that combined fuel services, reactor construction and long-term support, usurping our leadership in the global nuclear market.
Advanced technological capabilities cannot be recreated one piece at a time in different industrial domains. The United States has seen this evolution in other sectors, from semiconductors to aerospace and biotechnology, where the convergence of research, manufacturing and skilled workers accelerates innovation and creates lasting technology. Rebuilding that capability in the United States will require regional clusters where these jobs converge, talent pipelines mature and supply chains regain scale.
DEPARTMENT OF WAR MOVES NEXT-DAY STAR TO NUCLEAR ENERGY MILESTONE
The Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus model provides a practical way forward. The government-led sites will include technologies for fuel production and recycling, advanced reactor demonstration, equipment testing, waste management solutions and workforce training within the regional ecosystem.
Private sector funding will accelerate trade across the supply chain, and build the capacity for a domestic fuel cycle right on campus. Forward-looking states stand to attract high-skilled jobs, participate in advanced manufacturing, and put their communities at the center of a secure and sustainable nuclear enterprise.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE FOX NEWS
The concept of the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus proposes federal centers that direct local and international resources to increase the industrial capacity of the region, drive economic growth and restore technological leadership in this very important sector.
Rebuilding the nuclear fuel cycle is not just the goal of domestic industries. It is a matter of national sovereignty. Today, Russia controls about 40% of the world’s enrichment capacity and remains an important supplier of reactor fuel to both US and European facilities. As the US and its allies work to reduce dependence on Russian oil supplies in the coming years, strong domestic fuel will be needed.
Under the leadership of Secretary Chris Wright, the Department of Energy has taken significant action to date, expanding domestic enrichment capacity, strengthening integrated supply chains and supporting the production of high-enriched uranium.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
Many advanced reactor designs can use recycled fuel and other types of fuel, creating ways to reduce waste and obtain usable materials. Repowering the domestic fuel cycle through Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses will strengthen energy security, support defense requirements, and ensure that the US maintains control over critical technologies.
America’s nuclear renaissance will be led by the states that choose to build it. Early leaders will attract investment, talent and supply chains critical to national security, setting the stage for others to follow. Competitive federalism has long driven American innovation. If used in nuclear power, it can restore industrial power, protect the fuel cycle, and strengthen the nation.
