Jennifer Hiller, Daniel Michaels, and Kim Mackrael of The Wall Street Journal report on the West’s reliance on Russian fuel to power its nuclear comeback.
- Nuclear power is becoming an increasingly popular energy source as the United States looks to reduce emissions and provide reliable power to consumers.
- While this trend is encouraging, nuclear reactors are powered by enriched uranium that is almost exclusively sourced from Russia.
- This overreliance threatens energy and national security and could potentially hinder innovation and environmental progress.
- Policymakers must prioritize establishing a domestic or more secure supply of enriched uranium and reduce regulatory barriers for emerging technologies and fuels.
“A gaping hole in the plan: The West doesn’t have enough nuclear fuel—and lacks the capacity to swiftly ramp up production. Even more vexing, the biggest source of critical ingredients is Russia and its state monopoly, Rosatom, which is implicated in supporting the war in Ukraine.”
Read the full article here.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
