Energy Department takes steps toward allowing plutonium, historically used in weapons, in nuclear fuel
The program aims to convert nearly 20 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium into fuel for advanced commercial reactors, officials said.
- On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Energy selected five companies including Oklo for advanced negotiations under the Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program to convert Cold War-era plutonium into fuel for advanced nuclear reactors under strict security and safeguards.
- A White House executive order in March reversed prior disposal policy, directing the Energy Department to make roughly 20 metric tons of plutonium extracted from dismantled nuclear warheads available to American energy companies instead of diluting and disposing of it.
- Oklo co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte said "fuel supply constraints are a key throttle to advanced reactor development," while the company's partnership with Paris-based Newcleo includes a potential $2 billion investment announced in October 2025.
- Regulatory engagement is underway: Newcleo filed pre-application documents with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in February for an advanced fuel fabrication facility, while Oklo shares surged over 5.5% following the announcement as firms enter security and transportation negotiations.
- Former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz warned that plutonium-based fuels have a poor track record and could create additional weapons-usable materials, while Democratic lawmakers urged cancellation citing proliferation risks equivalent to 2,000 atomic bombs; Newcleo founder Stefano Buono counters that conversion reduces long-term U.S. nuclear liabilities.
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US to provide plutonium from atomic bombs to fuel nuclear plants
By Will Wade, Ari Natter and Emily Forgash, Bloomberg News WASHINGTON — The U.S. is planning to distribute plutonium left over from Cold War-era weapons to commercial nuclear developers as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to accelerate the rollout of new reactors. The Department of Energy has selected Oklo Inc. and four other firms for advanced negotiations to participate in the Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program, the Santa Clara, C…
Trump moves forward with plan to turn Cold War nuclear bomb material into fuel
This initiative follows reports last year that the administration of Donald Trump planned to make approximately 20 metric tons of plutonium from dismantled nuclear warheads available to American power companies
Trump Wants to Give Startups Leftover Weapons-Grade Plutonium
Current conditions: The French government has recorded at least seven deaths linked to the record early heatwave roasting Western Europe • New York City’s springtime temperature swing is surging upward to about 85 degrees Fahrenheit before dropping back into the 60s later this week • Temperatures in Berbera, the prized Red Sea port city in the de facto independent state of Somaliland, are revving up to 100 degrees today. THE TOP FIVE1. Trump wan…
Oklo's Plutonium Fuel Program Selection Could Reshape Federal Ties, Long-Term Reactor Strategy
Oklo (NYSE: OKLO) has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for advanced negotiations under the Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program, targeting Cold War-era plutonium as reactor fuel. The program would see Oklo work alongside European developer newcleo to convert surplus plutonium into fuel for its advanced reactor fleet. The prospective fuel pathway could help address Oklo’s long-term fuel supply constraints while deepening its relati…
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