Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Monday, from Vienna, where he's attending the IAEA's annual general conference, that the US should look to boost its strategic uranium reserve to guard against Russian supplies and increase confidence in the long-term prospects of nuclear power. Uranium inventories held by US companies trail those of Europe and Asia.
The first Trump administration proposed a uranium reserve in 2020 and sought $150 million to purchase the metal directly from US producers, though Congress only provided half of that. The concept also gained support from the Biden administration and DOE in 2022 awarded contracts for the purchase of uranium for the reserve from US miners.
In Montana this week, an activist youth climate group is suing to challenge the Trump administration's support for oil, gas and coal production as part of its declaration of an energy emergency. The challengers say their constitutional right to a healthy climate is being violated and are asking for an immediate preliminary injunction to block three energy-related executive orders signed by the President earlier this year. For its part, the government and its supporters are expected to ask the court to dismiss the case.
And looking abroad, a US delegation toured titanium and rare earth sites in central Ukraine this week to assess sites that could become starter projects for the new Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund. The delegation also discussed the potential for deposits of other rare earth elements, including those used in nuclear energy, aerospace and other industries.
