HWBRIEF
DOE signed non binding MOUs with Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Idaho to host end to end nuclear fuel chain sites that could also carry advanced reactors and data centers.
The Department of Energy has picked five states to begin exploring sites for Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses: Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Idaho, drawn from a pool of 28 applications across 26 states. The voluntary federal-state partnerships would carry the full nuclear fuel cycle (fuel fabrication, enrichment, reprocessing of used fuel, and waste disposition) and could also host advanced reactors, power generation, advanced manufacturing, and co-located data centers.
The selection is an agreement to explore, not a final award. Each state signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding; DOE will negotiate formal host agreements at a later date.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright tied the effort to presidential directives on restoring the domestic nuclear fuel cycle, framing it as part of what the administration has called "America's nuclear renaissance." Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Utah's interest is about advancing U.S. leadership in civil nuclear energy; statements from the other four governors have not been published.
DOE's program projections put the potential upside at up to $50 billion in capital investment, roughly 25,000 jobs, and up to $10 billion in state and local tax revenue per campus. Those are the agency's own ceilings, not committed spend. Initial facilities are targeted for 2027, contingent on siting, regulatory, and waste-disposition work the announcement leaves open.