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The US moves to stop buying uranium from Russia and start producing it at home

The Verge · Justine Calma · last updated
President Joe Biden signed a new law that bars the US from importing uranium from Russia, in the hopes of jumpstarting domestic mining to fuel nuclear reactors. The law also unlocks $2.

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State of Play

Nuclear energy provides almost 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Advocates have called for an expanded role for nuclear as an emissions-free fuel source. But the economics of building new reactors are daunting. In addition, lingering safety concerns are an institutionalized part of the calculation of nuclear regulation, and highly radioactive nuclear waste remains a can that public officials have been inclined to kick down the road. The Energy Information Administration projects a sharp decline in nuclear power generation over the next decade, as new nuclear plants — two are planned — are more than offset by anticipated retirements of several operating reactors.

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