Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., have introduced a bill aimed at advancing domestic nuclear fuel recycling research and assessing the potential benefits of recycling spent nuclear fuel.
Cruz’s office said Friday the proposed Advancing Research in Nuclear Fuel Recycling Act of 2025 directs the Department of Energy to study the benefits, costs and risks of recycling spent nuclear fuel, particularly in comparison to interim storage solutions.
What Will the DOE Study on Nuclear Fuel Recycling Examine?
Under the legislation, the DOE would examine historical and current challenges to nuclear fuel recycling in the U.S., identify barriers to new recycling projects and provide policy recommendations to address the challenges to recycling spent nuclear fuel.
“Spent nuclear fuel has the potential to dramatically increase America’s energy, economic, and national security. Domestic recycling can reduce the space we need for spent nuclear fuel, enhance energy independence, reduce our dependence on imports, and broaden the supply of rare elements and isotopes used in medicine and advanced technologies,” Cruz said.
“Recycling solutions will also reduce the burden on individual states from nuclear waste accumulation, and accelerate progress on nuclear energy, which is our nation’s cleanest baseload energy source,” the senator added.
What Nuclear Industry Leaders Are Saying About the Senate Bill?
Nuclear tech companies, such as Curio and Oklo, and the Nuclear Energy Institute have expressed support for the bipartisan Senate measure.
Curio CEO Ed McGinnis said spent nuclear fuel is a valuable energy resource that can enhance U.S. energy security and support advanced nuclear technologies.
“Thoughtful, science-driven approaches to recycling spent fuel are critical to unlocking that potential and ensuring the U.S. remains at the forefront of nuclear innovation,” McGinnis added.
Jacob DeWitte, co-founder and CEO of Oklo, stated that the proposed bill recognizes fuel recycling as a strategic pathway to strengthen domestic energy supply chains.
“Oklo is continuing to advance its own recycling initiatives, including plans for a commercial fuel recycling facility aimed at turning waste into a reliable domestic fuel source for its Aurora powerhouses,” he noted.
