Mining US Uranium: Balancing Energy Needs and Environmental Concerns

As the United States increasingly looks to expand reliable baseload energy sources, nuclear power is emerging as an important part of the mix. This is especially true in states trying to meet growing energy demands driven largely by artificial intelligence and data centers. In many cases, states are setting their sights on small modular reactors, or SMRs, which have a smaller physical footprint compared with large reactors and can potentially come online sooner.

These developments mean the U.S. will need a reliable supply of uranium, a key element in the production of nuclear fuel. With uranium exports from Russia, one of the main suppliers of the mineral to the U.S., diminished by the Russia-Ukraine war, the U.S. is seeking alternative sources of uranium for its 54 reactors. The developments also have sparked a resurgence in plans to mine U.S. uranium. …