"U.S. Nears Breakthrough in Challenging Russia's Fuel Monopoly"

The United States is working to break Russia's monopoly on the concentrated form of uranium fuel needed for advanced nuclear reactors. Currently, there is only one vendor in the world, an arm of the Russian government, that sells this fuel. However, the Ohio-based Centrus Energy has announced a deal to supply California-based reactor startup Oklo Inc. with high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU). This fuel is necessary for the new generation of atomic startups seeking to commercialize advanced reactors. The U.S. is also investing in domestic fuel enrichment facilities to reduce dependence on imports and revive the declining nuclear sector. Congress has allocated billions of dollars for domestic fuel enrichment, and Centrus has plans to expand its capacity with the right amount of investment.