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Covering the Tetons since 1965

Covering the Tetons since 1965

Fission in Wyoming’s future

by

Wyoming

Wyoming Senator John Barrasso is celebrating the passage of the bipartisan Fission for the Future Act in the US Senate.

The measure, which was co-sponsored by West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, authorizes the Energy Department to partner with American nuclear fuel suppliers.

The goal is to ensure commercial availability of domestic fuel for existing and advanced nuclear reactors.

The bill also directs DOE to make available high-assay, low-enriched uranium from its stockpiles until a domestic supply is available.

This legislation, which passed the Senate by a voice vote, will now go to the House of Representatives.

Barrasso said that Wyoming has the domestic supply of high-assay, low-enriched uranium that America needs. Expanding carbon-free nuclear energy will enhance the nation’s energy security, Barrasso said, and it will also mean greater prosperity for Wyoming families.

Barrasso has been working on nuclear fuel bill ‘Fission for Wyoming’ since last year

  • On April 7, 2022, Barrasso introduced the Fueling Our Nuclear Future Act to accelerate the availability of domestically produced HALEU for advanced reactors. It directs DOE to partner with industry to establish a domestic HALEU enrichment capability. It also directs DOE to make HALEU available from their inventories to ensure advanced reactors have the fuel they need until U.S. commercial enrichment is available.
  • On March 31, 2022, Barrasso was joined by Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) in introducing the National Opportunity to Restore Uranium Supply Services In America (NO RUSSIA) Act of 2022. The NO RUSSIA Act will authorize DOE to establish a national strategic uranium reserve and take additional actions, as necessary, to ensure a domestic supply of fuel for existing nuclear reactors.
  • On March 17, 2022, during the nomination hearing for Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the Department of Energy, Barrasso secured Dr. Kathryn Huff’s commitment to work to ensure a domestic supply of uranium for America’s existing and advanced reactors.
  • On March 16, 2022, Barrasso, Lummis, Marshall, and Cramer introduced legislation to ban imports of Russian uranium.
  • On December 1, 2021, during the Opening Plenary of the American Nuclear Society’s Winter Meeting, Barrasso warned against reliance on Russia to fuel advanced nuclear reactors and called for the Department of Energy to take immediate action to ensure a domestic nuclear fuel supply.
  • On June 15, 2021, during a hearing on DOE’s fiscal year 2022 budget request, Barrasso discussed the importance of establishing a domestic HALEU capability.
  • On April 30, 2021, Barrasso sent a letter to the Deputy Secretary of Energy urging the Department to take swift action to establish the strategic uranium reserve and to establish a domestic HALEU supply.
  • On March 25, 2021, ENR held a hearing that highlighted opportunities to strengthen U.S. competitiveness in nuclear energy, including by reinvigorating our domestic nuclear fuel supply chain.
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