Department of Energy’s Defense Production Act Consortium Unveils New Initiative to Grow Nation’s Nuclear Fuel Cycle

WASHINGTON — The U.S Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy today announced that it is kicking off an ambitious new initiative to secure the nation’s nuclear fuel supply chain. Through the Defense Production Act (DPA) Nuclear Fuel Cycle Consortium, the federal government will work with the domestic nuclear industry to ensure that the United States continues to have enough nuclear fuel to power the current nuclear reactor fleet as well as future advanced reactors. 

Comprised of representatives from more than 90 companies spanning the nuclear industrial base, the initiative will address all facets of the nuclear fuel supply chain including milling, conversion, enrichment, deconversion, fabrication, recycling, and reprocessing. 

Today, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center with partners and the public present, the Consortium shared it will focus its efforts on three goals to support the nuclear energy sector. Under the “Nuclear Dominance — 3 by 33” campaign, the Consortium aims to by 2033: 

• Catalyze a secure and cost-competitive domestic fuel supply chain  
• Accelerate advanced reactor deployment and close the fuel cycle 
• Explore how the DPA framework can be activated to grow and align workforce, finance, innovation and collaboration in support of nuclear build out 

The initiative will begin a series of 60-day sprints designed to make rapid progress on the Consortium’s goals.  

“The Consortium’s work comes at a pivotal time for nuclear energy growth in our country,” said Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish. “I’m pleased with the dedication of the Committee and am looking forward to rapid progress on near term goals to achieve a robust American-made supply of nuclear fuel.” 

The country’s need for secure and reliable energy is projected to rise in the coming years, driven in part by growth in industrial manufacturing, as well as the power needs of data centers to support artificial intelligence. Nuclear energy currently provides the country with nearly 20 percent of its power. The long-term success of efforts to put more power on the grid through nuclear power plant uprates, restarts and the commercial deployment of advanced reactors will all depend on the availability of nuclear fuel.  

In May of 2025, President Trump released four executive orders to catalyze a nuclear energy resurgence. Within months, DOE announced the creation of the DPA Consortium to seek voluntary agreements with U.S. companies focused on increasing fuel availability, providing more access to reliable power, and ending America’s reliance on foreign sources of enriched uranium and critical materials. 

To learn more, visit the DPA Nuclear Fuel Cycle Consortium website.

# # #