“Spent nuclear fuel has the potential to dramatically increase America’s energy, economic, and national security."
Texas Insider Report WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced The Advancing Research in Nuclear Fuel Recycling Act of 2025. The bill requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to carry out a study analyzing the costs, benefits, and risks of recycling the nation’s spent nuclear fuel, especially as compared to interim storage solutions.
Sen. Cruz said, “Spent nuclear fuel has the potential to dramatically increase America’s energy, economic, and national security. Domestic recycling can reduce the space we need for spent nuclear fuel, enhance energy independence, reduce our dependence on imports, and broaden the supply of rare elements and isotopes used in medicine and advanced technologies. Recycling solutions will also reduce the burden on individual states from nuclear waste accumulation, and accelerate progress on nuclear energy, which is our nation’s cleanest baseload energy source. I’m proud to work with Sen. Heinrich on this legislation and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass this bill.”
The bill is supported by Curio, Oklo, and the Nuclear Energy Institute.
Ed McGinnis, CEO of Curio said, “We appreciate Senators Cruz and Heinrich for their bipartisan leadership in keeping nuclear waste recycling on the national agenda. What we call ‘waste’ is, in fact, a valuable energy resource that can help strengthen America’s energy security, reduce long-term environmental burdens, and support advanced nuclear technologies. Thoughtful, science-driven approaches to recycling spent fuel are critical to unlocking that potential and ensuring the U.S. remains at the forefront of nuclear innovation.”
Jacob DeWitte, Co-Founder and CEO of Oklo said, “Oklo greatly appreciates Congress’s leadership in advancing commercial recycling of used nuclear fuel. The proposed legislation reflects growing recognition of fuel recycling as a strategic pathway to strengthen U.S. energy security and enhance domestic supply chains. Oklo is continuing to advance its own recycling initiatives, including plans for a commercial fuel recycling facility aimed at turning waste into a reliable domestic fuel source for its Aurora powerhouses.”
Doug True, Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer of Nuclear Energy Institute said, “The U.S. nuclear industry supports efforts by Congress to advance used nuclear fuel recycling for its potential to enhance the sustainability and economics of existing and advanced reactors, to improve U.S. energy security, and to convert used fuel into waste forms that can be more easily disposed of in a permanent geologic repository.”
Read the bill text here.
BACKGROUND
- The DOE study would evaluate the historical and current challenges to recycling in the United States, identify barriers to the development of new recycling projects, and include policy recommendations to address the remaining challenges to recycling spent nuclear fuel. Sen. Cruz first introduced this legislation in 2024 during the 118th Congress.
