Federal stockpiled fuel allocation backs next-gen nuclear deployment.

After years of planning, policy, and preparation, the U.S. Department of Energy is delivering the first batches of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) from stockpiles to five advanced reactor developers – marking the first time this critical fuel has been released for commercial use and signaling a major shift in the nation's push to deploy next-generation nuclear technologies and reclaim control over its energy future.

Department of Energy

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Until recently, the United States relied entirely on foreign suppliers – primarily Russia – for HALEU, a material not commercially produced domestically but required to fuel the next generation of nuclear reactors currently under development in America.

That dependence was disrupted by the passage of the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act in May 2024, prompting the release of $2.7 billion in federal funding to establish a secure U.S. supply chain.

In response to the new federal mandate and funding, DOE accelerated efforts to start up a secure domestic HALEU supply chain. As part of that process, the federal agency activated the HALEU Availability Program – originally authorized under the Energy Act of 2020 – to make limited quantities of government-controlled material available for civilian use.

With no commercial enrichment or deconversion capabilities yet operational, the department set conditions to draw from federally held stockpiles to meet near-term fuel needs.

On April 9, DOE named the first five recipients of federally held HALEU – TRISO-X, Kairos Power, Radiant Industries, Westinghouse Electric, and TerraPower – following a review process that prioritized projects with immediate fuel needs and alignment with federal deployment objectives.

"The Trump Administration is unleashing all sources of affordable, reliable and secure American energy – and this includes accelerating the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors," said Energy Secretary Chris Wright. "Allocating this HALEU material will help U.S. nuclear developers deploy their advanced reactors with materials sourced from secure supply chains, marking an important step forward in President Trump's program to revitalize America's nuclear sector."

These allocations will enable the recipients participating in additional DOE-led programs – such as the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, the Demonstration Using Operational Mockup Environment (DOME) test bed, and select risk reduction initiatives – to continue reactor development on schedule while federal efforts to establish domestic HALEU production remain underway.

According to DOE, three of the five selected developers will require HALEU delivery in 2025, with the first shipments expected to begin as early as this fall.

To formalize the commitments, the department will now begin negotiating contracts with each recipient while confirming that the allocation process remains ongoing and may expand to additional developers as project timelines advance and domestic supply capabilities evolve.

This initial distribution is expected to serve as a stopgap while DOE-funded efforts to develop commercial enrichment and deconversion capabilities – including an $800 million contracting initiative launched in late 2024 – work to establish a sustainable domestic supply chain for this future critical nuclear fuel.