Congress Restricts Russian Uranium Imports, Unlocks $2.7 Billion for Domestic Fuel

Nuclear fuel pellets used in commercial nuclear reactors.
(Areva)
Legislation that restricts imports
The restriction will take effect 90 days after the president signs the legislation, which is expected to occur.
The act allows the secretary of energy to issue waivers for imports up to certain limits if there is no other viable source of LEU available. As of 2022, U.S. civilian nuclear power plants collectively sourced about 12%
Once the restriction is in place, the Department of Energy is permitted to spend up to $2.72 billion to support domestic production of LEU and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), which is a more concentrated fuel intended for use in prospective advanced reactors.
Congress allocated
The funds will specifically go toward implementing the Nuclear Fuel Security Act,
This news brief originally appeared in FYI’s newsletter for the week of May 6.