The Department of Energy committed 2.7 billion dollars in early January 2026 to strengthen domestic uranium enrichment over the next decade, a move aimed at rebuilding a supply chain that had come to rely heavily on foreign sources.
Under the program, the DOE awarded three companies, American Centrifuge Operating, General Matter, and Orano Federal Services, 900 million dollars each through milestone based task orders to expand domestic enrichment of both conventional low enriched uranium and high assay low enriched uranium. The agency also awarded an additional 28 million dollars to Global Laser Enrichment to continue developing next generation enrichment technology.
High assay low enriched uranium, known as HALEU, has become a bottleneck in the nuclear fuel cycle because most advanced reactor designs require it and domestic production has been limited. By anchoring enrichment work with American firms, the Department aims to supply fuel for both the existing reactor fleet and the advanced reactors now moving toward construction.
The funding sits within a larger federal commitment to nuclear energy. Appropriations for fiscal year 2026 directed more than 49 billion dollars to the Department of Energy in total, with about 1.785 billion dollars earmarked for the Office of Nuclear Energy. Supporters in Congress framed the enrichment investment as a step toward fuel security for a fleet expected to grow through restarts, uprates, and new advanced reactors. The awards give domestic enrichment companies a foundation to scale capacity over the coming years.
Source: UPI - https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/01/06/Department-Energy-enriched-uranium-awards/4451767676203