The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is weighing a proposed $50 billion federal plan to create three nuclear innovation campuses featuring advanced reactors, nuclear fuel recycling and data centers, with heavy manufacturing industries expected to cluster around the hubs, The Center Square reports.
The Department of Energy’s Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus initiative is considering Louisiana, Tennessee, Utah, Oklahoma, Idaho and West Virginia as potential host states, with each hub projected to generate up to $10 billion in long-term local tax revenue and 25,000 jobs. Supporters argue the program could expand reliable, affordable power, meet growing electricity demand from data centers and advanced manufacturing and turn the nation’s roughly 90,000-metric-ton stockpile of spent nuclear fuel into a domestic energy resource.
Lake Barrett of the American Nuclear Society said taxpayers and ratepayers face about $800 million in annual costs for temporary storage, while Energy Secretary Chris Wright and other advocates say regulatory changes are needed to accelerate next-generation nuclear development. The program would involve states agreeing to store nuclear waste, reviving long-standing debates over storage and federal responsibility following the stalled Yucca Mountain project.
Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, says his state’s participation remains exploratory until there is greater clarity on environmental oversight and the terms of a final agreement. Critics also question whether commercial nuclear fuel recycling can operate without government support, with nuclear expert Kathryn Huff noting that similar programs overseas rely on government subsidies.
The Center Square has the full story.
Nuclear campus
