The U.S. Department of Energy announced a $2.7 billion plan in early January 2026 to strengthen domestic uranium enrichment over the next decade, a major step to rebuild the nation's nuclear fuel supply chain. The funding targets both the fuel that powers today's reactors and the high-assay low-enriched uranium needed for advanced designs.
The awards spread across several companies. American Centrifuge Operating and General Matter will each receive $900 million to develop domestic HALEU enrichment capacity, while Orano Federal Services will receive $900 million to expand U.S.-based low-enriched uranium enrichment. The department also awarded $28 million to Global Laser Enrichment to advance next-generation enrichment technology for the fuel cycle.
The money will flow through task orders tied to specific performance milestones, part of an accountability framework intended to ensure delivery. Both HALEU and standard low-enriched uranium are necessary to power the current reactor fleet and to support the advanced reactors moving through development.
The investment carries strategic weight beyond fuel supply. The United States has leaned heavily on foreign sources for enriched uranium, and the program aims to reduce that dependence. Once operational, the new capacity will help U.S. utilities comply with rules that ban Russian uranium imports after 2028.
The funding addresses a constraint that has slowed advanced reactor timelines, including HALEU fuel scarcity that pushed TerraPower's Natrium schedule later. By rebuilding domestic enrichment, the program seeks to remove a bottleneck in the nuclear supply chain.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy - https://www.energy.gov/articles/us-department-energy-awards-27-billion-restore-american-uranium-enrichment