TL;DR
Every nuclear plant runs on fuel, and the new wave of small reactors that companies keep announcing needs a lot more of it, including a richer grade that many advanced designs want. A plant in Kentucky could help supply it by squeezing new fuel out of an old pile of leftovers. On Oct. 26 the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued its final environmental review of Global Laser Enrichment's planned Paducah plant and recommended a license to build and run it. The plant would use lasers to re-enrich depleted uranium left over from the old Paducah enrichment plant, turning an existing stockpile into reactor fuel. One step remains before a decision, a final safety report due by the end of 2026, and Silex Systems expects the license in early 2027. Our odds that a U.S. laser-enrichment plant is licensed by 2027: 70%. For the full odds board and a timeline of the breakthroughs that would get fuel flowing to tomorrow's reactors, subscribe.
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