US eyes 90,000 tons of nuclear waste as fresh fuel for future power reactors

The US had been leading in the nuclear power race, but it is facing tough competition from China. China has been building new nuclear power plants at a fast pace and it plans to lead the world with its innovations in the field.

Russia, too, is increasing the number of nuclear power stations and is trying to become a significant exporter of reactor technology in all parts of the globe.

According to a report by Reuters, the Trump administration is mulling over four draft executive orders on increasing nuclear energy in the country.

Draft executive orders for nuclear energy

As per the Reuters report, one of the four orders includes the directive to recycle nuclear waste and use radioactive plutonium for reactor fuel.

There is also a mention of the US officials determining the legal requirements for transferring spent nuclear waste from reactors to a recycling facility, following the assent from the President.

Over 90,000 metric tons of nuclear waste are stored in nearly 70 power plants across the US. Recycling it to produce reactor fuel can be a viable alternative, but critics have said it could lead to more worrying problems.

Further, one of the draft orders also calls for the US government’s increased control over setting up nuclear power plants. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in the US currently handles the matter, which is an independent body.

There have been other reports about the Trump administration taking more control of NRC into its own hands and reviewing the reactor safety rules. Moreover, it might also include shortening the reactor design review timeline and more measures to hasten the process of building new power plants.

Critics of nuclear waste recycling

Earlier this month, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright testified before the House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, outlining the Department of Energy’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request.

In his opening remarks, Wright said that the administration is taking steps to accelerate innovation in commercial nuclear development. He said that the Department of Energy (DOE) is focused on developing next-generation nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors.

The remarks might hint at what the DOE plans to do in the days ahead.

The nuclear nonproliferation experts are opposed to the recycling of nuclear waste, as they think the facilities involved in the supply chain could be a target for extremist groups who want to use it for making crude weapons.

They also state that any such recycling initiative in the US will likely be copied by other countries, too, leading to an increased global risk of nuclear weapons falling into the wrong hands.

It is unclear when nuclear waste recycling will be restarted in the US, but if taken, it could prove to be a landmark decision by the Trump administration.