Critical uranium to fuel nuclear resurgence Image By EPN Staff Key Points Uranium has been added to the U.S. Critical Minerals List, unlocking access to federal incentives, expedited permitting and financial support, part of a broader Trump Administration effort to expand domestic uranium production. Domestic uranium production is rapidly increasing, with U.S. producers expected to far exceed 2024 and 2023 output levels; economic impacts could reach $4.6 billion annually and support more than 37,000 jobs, particularly in Western rural regions. Rising electricity demand and reduced reliance on foreign uranium, especially due to the 2024 ban on Russian imports, are driving U.S. companies to expand mining, processing and enrichment operations. The Trump Administration’s effort to encourage domestic uranium production will help the nation meet rising demand while boosting economic growth in Western states. On Nov. 7, 2025, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) included uranium on its final 2025 List of Critical Minerals, providing potential access to loan guarantees, funding, tax incentives and expedited permitting. Earlier in the year, Trump’s Executive Order 14154 directed the agency to consider uranium, which had been omitted from the list since 2022. The resulting boost to domestic uranium production could spur $4.6 billion in yearly economic activity, support more than 37,000 jobs and spark revival in rural areas in the West, according to an analysis of multiple impact studies reported in the Denver Gazette. Why it matters After a decade of stability, demand for reliable, affordable electricity is rising to meet the needs of data centers and other industries, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Although once a thriving mining sector, U.S. production of uranium declined in the mid-1980s as U.S. electricity plants turned to producers in Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan, Namibia, Russia and Uzbekistan. In 2023, only 5% of the uranium used at U.S. electricity plants was produced domestically. In 2024, Congress passed a law banning uranium imports from Russia. In 2028 when the law takes full effect, the U.S. will no longer import any uranium from Russian mines. Greater demand and reduced imports improved prospects for domestic producers. In 2024, the percentage of uranium produced domestically increased to 8% and the number of active mines tripled, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency. Increased demand for electricity, the promise of new reactor designs, clean energy goals and concerns over a diminished U.S. nuclear energy supply chain, prompted the administration to take additional steps to spur development. The bigger picture In the second quarter of 2025, five domestic producers in Wyoming, Texas and Utah produced 477,238 pounds of U3O8, up from 97,709 pounds in the second quarter of 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Producers will surpass the full amount produced in 2024 (677,000 pounds) and in 2023 (50,000 pounds). In 2025, multiple energy companies announced expansion plans. Urenco recently announced that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a permit to allow its Eunice site in New Mexico to become the first commercial uranium enrichment facility in the U.S. to produce low-enriched uranium or next-generation nuclear reactors. EnCore Energy Corp, which operates the Alta Mesa Project in Texas, announced it is expanding its operation. Energy Fuels Inc., which owns White Mesa Mill in Utah and the Nichols Ranch ISR Project mine in Wyoming, announced “Record-breaking performance” at its new Pinyon Plain mine in Arizona. Western Uranium & Vanadium Corp is developing the former Pinon Ridge Mill site in Colorado. Once built, the now-called Mustang Mineral Processing Site will enable the company to produce yellowcake. Anfield Energy Inc. is planning to reopen a closed mine in Montrose County, Colorado. SUGGESTED STORIES U.S. lacks uranium to meet its nuclear ambitions There are warning signs of a nuclear fuel shortage as the reactor industry gears back up in the United States to meet growing electricity demand. And since the U.S. relies almost entirely on imported uranium, a looming ban on Russian fuel complicates the situation. Read more Prescribed fire is a critical, but underused, conservation tool This is a lightly edited excerpt of testimony recently provided to the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee hearing "A Legislative Hearing to Examine a Discussion Draft of the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act; and S. 881, the Renewable Fuel for Ocean-Going Read more Domestic uranium production gets a boost in the Southwest The transport of uranium ore from a northern Arizona mine to a southern Utah refining plant has resumed via tribal lands following months of negotiations, providing a pathway for the U.S. to increase domestic uranium production. The agreement allows for up to 10 trucks to haul ore d Read more
U.S. lacks uranium to meet its nuclear ambitions There are warning signs of a nuclear fuel shortage as the reactor industry gears back up in the United States to meet growing electricity demand. And since the U.S. relies almost entirely on imported uranium, a looming ban on Russian fuel complicates the situation. Read more
Prescribed fire is a critical, but underused, conservation tool This is a lightly edited excerpt of testimony recently provided to the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee hearing "A Legislative Hearing to Examine a Discussion Draft of the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act; and S. 881, the Renewable Fuel for Ocean-Going Read more
Domestic uranium production gets a boost in the Southwest The transport of uranium ore from a northern Arizona mine to a southern Utah refining plant has resumed via tribal lands following months of negotiations, providing a pathway for the U.S. to increase domestic uranium production. The agreement allows for up to 10 trucks to haul ore d Read more
