Wright touts nuclear focus; lawmakers press DOE on enrichment, fuel supply and demonstration timelines
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Summary
Secretary Wright told the committee nuclear energy and nuclear fuel supply are central to DOE plans; members pressed on uranium enrichment, downblending options for HALEU, demonstration reactor timelines and NRC staffing constraints.
Secretary Chris Wright emphasized nuclear energy as a pillar of the administration's energy agenda during testimony to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee, telling members DOE will prioritize rapid deployment of next-generation nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors. He said the administration "will prioritize research that supports true technological breakthroughs" and cited recent executive actions aimed at accelerating the nuclear industrial base.
Lawmakers from both parties pressed Wright on the practical steps needed to expand commercial nuclear fuel and enrichment capacity in the United States. Several members urged DOE to implement the uranium ban and anti-circumvention provisions in recently enacted law and to work with the committee on waivers and timelines. Wright said DOE is committed to implementing the ban and is engaging industry on downblending options to produce 20 metric tons of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) where feasible.
Members also raised the timeline goal stated in a recent executive order to have three demonstration reactors reach criticality by July 2026. Wright said the demonstrations referenced in the order are planned at the Idaho National Laboratory and are demonstration-scale projects; he acknowledged that average historical build and NRC review times are much longer and that the goal is aggressive but described the demonstration sites as a way to accelerate deployment.
Committee members requested written updates on DOE efforts to support domestic enrichment, fuel supply chains, and NRC capacity to review new reactor applications. Wright said DOE will provide follow-up material and thanked members who supported legislative work on licensing and modernization, specifically citing bipartisan support for the Advance Act.
Ending: The committee asked DOE to provide specific plans and timelines in writing for HALEU feedstock, domestic enrichment pilot projects and the three demonstration reactors; Wright agreed to provide additional documentation.