On 29/1, the Donald Trump administration initiated consultations with states, Reuters reported. The proposal outlines a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Complex, an integrated ecosystem for nuclear waste storage and used fuel recycling.

This complex would enable federal support for deploying advanced reactors alongside data centers and establishing uranium enrichment facilities.

Cooling towers at the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, Georgia, US, 13/8/2024. *Photo: Reuters*

The Trump administration prioritizes private and local investment, with federal support described as "targeted, conditional, and time-limited". US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright indicated the potential for hundreds of billions of USD in federal loans, primarily for nuclear power projects.

The draft suggests states could host deep underground nuclear waste repositories in exchange for federal support and nuclear power investment. This marks a significant departure from the prior plan to store waste under Yucca Mountain in Nevada.

Public concerns about radioactive waste have slowed nuclear power development. Currently, nuclear waste is stored on site at nuclear power plants. After use, it is placed in fuel pools, then transferred to concrete and steel casks.

Resolving this waste storage challenge is crucial for achieving the US's ambitious nuclear power expansion. Trump aims to quadruple US nuclear power capacity to 400 GW by 2050, anticipating a sharp rise in electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence data centers and cryptocurrencies.

The Department previously focused solely on the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, a project initiated in 1987. Former President Barack Obama halted it due to state legislative opposition.

Following the Yucca project, the agency sought consensus-based nuclear waste storage sites. However, a permanent storage solution is currently lacking.

Former President Ronald Reagan lifted the ban on nuclear waste recycling, intending to extract uranium and plutonium for reactor reuse. However, US companies did not commercially develop this technology due to its high cost. Furthermore, this recycling method remains controversial due to expenses and nuclear weapons proliferation concerns.