U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Licenses First-of-its-Kind Fuel Fabrication Facility

In May 2025, President Trump issued a suite of executive orders – Executive Orders 14299, 14300, 14301, and 14302 – aimed at expanding nuclear power capabilities, strengthening nuclear supply chains within the United States, and increasing nuclear exports (Nuclear Executive Orders). To further the goals of the Nuclear Executive Orders, the President directed the executive branch to carry out certain actions including, but not limited to, expediting reactor licensing, prioritizing federal funding for advanced reactor technologies, and supporting the domestic production of nuclear fuels.

The Nuclear Executive Orders highlighted the Administration’s focus on strengthening domestic nuclear fuel supply. Specifically, Executive Order 14302 states that “the Nation’s nuclear fuel cycle infrastructure has severely atrophied, leaving the United States heavily dependent on foreign sources of uranium as well as uranium enrichment and conversion services. These trends cannot continue.”

In alignment with the Administration’s goals, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced its licensing of the first-of-its-kind fuel fabrication facility for advanced reactors within the United States. Certain advanced reactor technologies require tri-structural isotropic fuel (TRISO Fuel), which is generally more resistant to neutron irradiation, corrosion, oxidation, and high temperatures than traditional reactor fuels. The license authorizes the commercial fabrication of TRISO fuel for a 40-year term pursuant to the NRC’s 10 C.F.R. Part 70 regulations. The strengthening of the domestic supply chain for nuclear fuel is expected to support the deployment of advanced reactor technologies.

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