U.S. DOE picks five states as nuclear campus finalists

The U.S. Department of Energy has selected five states as potential hosts for new Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses, a major federal initiative aimed at revitalizing the nation's domestic nuclear fuel industry. The finalists, announced on July 28, are Tennessee, Louisiana, Utah, Oklahoma, and Idaho. The department will ultimately choose up to three states to host the campuses, which are designed to consolidate activities across the entire nuclear fuel cycle, including fuel fabrication, enrichment, reprocessing, and waste disposition.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the selection followed a review of 28 applications from 26 states. He described the campuses as massive generators of economic growth, crucial to unleashing what he termed America's nuclear renaissance. According to department estimates, each campus could attract up to $50 billion in capital investment, generate $10 billion in state and local tax revenue, and create nearly 25,000 jobs. The initiative aligns with a broader national goal to quadruple U.S. nuclear energy capacity by 2050.

Governors from the selected states welcomed the opportunity, highlighting their regions' historical ties to energy innovation...