A closer look at the initial NLIC selections—Part 2

[Marlin]

A closer look at the initial NLIC selections—Part 2

https://www.ans.org/news/2026-08-24/article-8334/a-closer-look-at-the-initial-nlic-selectionspart-2/

[Core Content]

The Department of Energy has signed memorandums of understanding with five states to explore hosting the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus. Idaho, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah are currently competing to house facilities that would support the full nuclear fuel cycle, ranging from front-end enrichment to back-end waste management and disposal.

These partnerships reflect a broader federal effort to revitalize domestic nuclear infrastructure through state-level collaboration. While the selected states offer varying levels of existing expertise, such as Idaho's national laboratory infrastructure or Utah's uranium milling history, the program remains in the exploratory phase. The final selection will depend on how well each state aligns its regional industrial capacity with the Department of Energy's long-term goals for the fuel cycle.

In January, the Department of Energy announced its new Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus (NLIC) program, inviting states via a request for information to express their interest in hosting a facility supporting work from the front to the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle.

By April, 26 states had expressed interest in hosting such a facility. At the end of July, the DOE signed memorandums of understanding with five states—Idaho, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah—to more closely explore the possibilities of state-federal partnerships. These MOUs are not firm commitments from either the federal or state governments. Time will tell which—if any—of the five states develop projects through the program. In the meantime, today, we are taking a close look at what...

Read the full article at ans.org:
https://www.ans.org/news/2026-08-24/article-8334/a-closer-look-at-the-initial-nlic-selectionspart-2/