Kremlin Still Key for US Atomic Power Despite Looming Import Ban

[Marlin]

Kremlin Still Key for US Atomic Power Despite Looming Import Ban

https://www.energyconnects.com/news/utilities/2026/july/kremlin-still-key-for-us-atomic-power-despite-looming-import-ban/

[Core Content]

United States nuclear reactor operators sourced 26 percent of their enrichment services from Russia in 2025, according to new Energy Information Administration data. This reliance persists despite a 2024 federal law banning Russian uranium imports, which currently permits waivers for utilities until January 2028 when alternative supply chains are unavailable.

The dependence creates a logistical and political risk for domestic power generation as demand grows for data centers and plant life extensions. While Urenco USA and other firms are expanding enrichment capacity, these projects will not fully replace Russian supply before the waiver authority expires. Utilities remain vulnerable to potential disruptions in trade relations and the timing of domestic infrastructure development.

The US nuclear industry remains heavily dependent on Moscow for the enriched uranium that fuels reactors generating about a fifth of the nation's electricity,

US reactor operators bought about 3.28 million separative work units, or SWUs, of Russian enrichment services in 2025, equal to almost 26% of their total purchases, according to data published Wednesday in the Energy Information Administration's latest uranium marketing report. That compares with 17% a decade earlier.

The vulnerability is growing more urgent as Washington promotes a nuclear revival driven by power demand from data centers and electrification. Existing utilities are seeking to extend reactor lives and restart plants, while developers of small modular reactors need to secure fuel for projects over the next decade.

Read the full article at Energy Connects:
https://www.energyconnects.com/news/utilities/2026/july/kremlin-still-key-for-us-atomic-power-despite-looming-import-ban/