America’s Uranium Rush

The administration’s pro-nuclear policies are driving a surge in uranium mining. (POLITICO Pro’s GREENWIRE, subscription).

What’s going on: The federal government’s prioritization of nuclear power—which “it believes is vital to feed the grid and power-hungry data centers”—means that the U.S. needs more uranium to fuel traditional and next-generation reactors.

• Most of the uranium used in the U.S. in nuclear plants comes from other countries: Australia, Canada, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Namibia and Russia.
• Federal analysts recently warned that U.S. nuclear reactors will face uranium shortages in the next decade as a ban on Russian uranium takes full effect in 2028 and the administration’s push for more nuclear power increases demand.

What the administration’s doing: Government officials “have fast-tracked mine approvals, deemed uranium a critical mineral and [earlier this month] hailed the federal approval of the Dewey-Burdock uranium project in South Dakota as a new source of ‘domestically produced uranium.'”

• The administration is moving mining projects through its FAST-41 permitting program, aimed at speeding up lengthy permitting reviews for key infrastructure projects.

Where it’s happening: The U.S.—specifically western states such as Utah and Wyoming—are experiencing a surge in uranium concentrate, or “yellow cake,” production.

• “Production tripled to more than 1 million pounds of uranium concentrate in the first quarter of 2026, three times the amount produced during the same time last year,” according to the Energy Information Administration.
• Yellow cake is made in six facilities across Wyoming, Texas and Utah, mined underground or in open pits.

The NAM’s take: “Building a reliable domestic uranium supply is essential to ensuring nuclear can continue to be a dependable energy source for the United States and our allies—and to securing America’s energy future and unleashing American energy dominance,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons.

• “The administration and Congress are taking important steps to strengthen our domestic nuclear fuel supply chains so America can once again lead the world in nuclear fuel production and nuclear energy.”