Russia still top US uranium supplier despite efforts to wean off

Russia remained the number one supplier of nuclear reactor fuel to the US last year, amid unsuccessful efforts to wean off of the Kremlin’s supply of uranium. 

Russia supplied almost a quarter of the enriched uranium used to fuel America’s fleet of more than 90 commercial reactors. That compares with 28% in 2021, according to the latest Energy Department data.

The figures from the Energy Information Administration come as the US has unsuccessfully sought billions to create the domestic capability to produce enriched reactor fuel at scale. At the same time, the Biden administration is contemplating slapping sanctions on Russia’s state-owned atomic energy company, Rosatom Corp., in response to the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, in addition to fears Russia could decide to halt exports of enriched uranium on its own. 

House Republicans have proposed including more than $2.4 billion to fund domestic production of enriched uranium as part of a government funding bill that advanced in a House panel Thursday.