As more nuclear energy is harnessed to help meet growing electricity demand, the U.S. is finally getting serious about storing and repurposing spent nuclear fuel (or used nuclear fuel).
The Department of Energy (DOE) describes spent fuel as fuel that’s already been used in a nuclear reactor. Since the 1950s, nearly 90,000 metric tons of spent fuel have been produced—enough to fill one football field.
Under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA), Congress required DOE to “provide for the development of repositories for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, to establish a program of research, development, and demonstration regarding the disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, and for other purposes.”
In concert with the NWPA, then-President Bush and Congress proposed the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada as a storage facility in 2002. The Obama administration’s DOE terminated the project despite no documented safety issues. A 2014 Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) safety evaluation report confirmed it was safe to store nuclear waste at this site.
Biden-era Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm opposed Yucca Mountain, and the administration instead opted to prioritize nuclear waste education over spent fuel storage. Thanks to bad policymaking, taxpayers shoulder $400 million to $800 million annually due to inaction here. Now, with a second Trump administration, this issue is likely to be addressed across the board.
One state, Montana, hopes to pass first-in-the-nation legislation to address nuclear waste storage concerns. House Bill 623, if signed into law, would create a framework for the “siting of spent nuclear fuel storage facilities” attached to newly-built nuclear power plants. Rep. Parry, the bill’s lead sponsor, wants his state to model France, a nation that generates most of its electricity—70%—from nuclear energy. As of this writing, the bill has passed in the House and is awaiting consideration in the Montana State Senate.
A similar bill was debated next door in Wyoming but failed to advance this session.
It’s not just Montana. Nationally, there’s a conversation about what to do with spent fuel and how to repurpose it. On March 5th, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments about whether the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the entity regulating commercial nuclear plants, should license private, off-site nuclear waste storage sites.
Trump’s first Energy Secretary, Rick Perry, proposed a reasonable solution to the nuclear waste storage question: recycling spent fuel for other uses over permanent storage.
“The United States should establish a recycling policy so that the 90,000 metric tons of UNF in the country can be recycled and fabricated into mixed oxide fuel (‘MOX fuel’). The resulting MOX fuel can be used in nuclear reactors to create reliable and clean energy,” Perry wrote. He’s not wrong. Per the DOE, spent nuclear fuel is safely stored and transported. It can also be used to fuel smaller nuclear reactors like small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors.
As I noted in RealClear Energy last December, concerns about nuclear waste storage can be ameliorated since the industry prioritizes safety:
Understandably, women are concerned about the safety protocols and safe storage of nuclear waste (or used nuclear fuel). In the last 60 years, there have only been three significant accidents at nuclear plants worldwide. American nuclear power plants are among the safest in the world and are built to minimize accidental radiation release and meltdowns. Additionally, reactor operators undergo rigorous training and must be federally licensed to supervise these plants. Our Energy Department reports that U.S. facilities pose the least harm to people and the environment due to ‘safety procedures, robust training programs and stringent federal regulation.’
Nuclear is the second largest source of electricity generation in the U.S., accounting for 18.6% of baseload power. It’s the safest and most reliable clean energy source and operates for nearly 93% of the year. It’s no wonder that most Americans, 56%, support its development.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright has made nuclear energy a top priority at his agency. Not only will new projects be approved, but safety—including nuclear waste storage and reuse—will be equally considered.
To learn more about nuclear energy, go HERE.