{"id":31176,"date":"2026-05-29T11:22:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T11:22:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/29\/the-trump-administration-is-working-on-a-deal-to-give-weapons-grade-plutonium-to-energy-companies\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T11:22:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T11:22:39","slug":"the-trump-administration-is-working-on-a-deal-to-give-weapons-grade-plutonium-to-energy-companies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/29\/the-trump-administration-is-working-on-a-deal-to-give-weapons-grade-plutonium-to-energy-companies\/","title":{"rendered":"The Trump administration is working on a deal to give weapons-grade plutonium to energy companies"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-editable=\"content\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-reorderable=\"content\">\n<div data-editable=\"aiSummary\" class=\"article__ai-summary-wrapper\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/ai-article-summary\/instances\/cmpn5t9pu00003b6rfsniycu6@published\" class=\"ai-article-summary hidden  \" data-article-gutter=\"true\" data-selector-brand=\"accent-ai\">\n    <button class=\"ai-article-summary__toggle\"><br \/>\n        <strong class=\"ai-article-summary__title\"><br \/>\n            <span class=\"ai-article-summary__stars-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\">\n    <path d=\"M16.7322 12.6297L14.7237 12.0545C13.8192 11.7989 12.9952 11.315 12.3307 10.6491C11.6662 9.98311 11.1834 9.15741 10.9284 8.25095L10.3544 6.23807C10.3255 6.16765 10.2764 6.10741 10.2133 6.06502C10.1502 6.02263 10.076 6 10 6C9.92403 6 9.84978 6.02263 9.78667 6.06502C9.72357 6.10741 9.67446 6.16765 9.6456 6.23807L9.07163 8.25095C8.81662 9.15741 8.33377 9.98311 7.66926 10.6491C7.00476 11.315 6.18084 11.7989 5.27634 12.0545L3.26781 12.6297C3.19069 12.6516 3.12281 12.6982 3.07448 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fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg><br \/>\n<\/span><br \/>\n            <span>Summary<\/span><br \/>\n        <\/strong><br \/>\n            <span class=\"ai-article-summary__toggle-caret-up\" aria-label=\"Toggle Article Summary\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"icon-ui-caret-up\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M12.478 6.21a.637.637 0 00-.946 0L2.206 16.229c-.225.243-.28.633-.093.91.237.355.7.385.975.089l8.917-9.579 8.878 9.537c.225.243.589.301.847.101a.721.721 0 00.082-1.048L12.478 6.211z\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n<\/span><br \/>\n            <span class=\"ai-article-summary__toggle-caret-down\" aria-label=\"Toggle Article Summary\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"icon-ui-caret-down\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M12.478 17.218a.637.637 0 01-.946 0L2.206 7.2c-.225-.242-.28-.632-.093-.91a.613.613 0 01.975-.088l8.917 9.579 8.878-9.538c.225-.242.589-.3.847-.1.33.255.357.752.082 1.048l-9.334 10.027z\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"ai-article-summary__collapsible\">\n<ul class=\"ai-article-summary__items\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<li class=\"ai-article-summary__item\">The Trump administration has selected five private companies to negotiate access to weapons-grade plutonium from Cold War-era warheads.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ai-article-summary__item\">The companies would convert the surplus plutonium into fuel for next-generation small modular nuclear reactors.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ai-article-summary__item\">Critics warn the move could increase nuclear proliferation risks by setting a precedent for civilian use of weapons-grade material.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n            <span class=\"ai-article-summary__disclaimer-text\">AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpn446sr000x27p63zhk89qo@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            For years, the federal government has been working on turning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/09\/09\/climate\/nuclear-warheads-haleu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">old, unexploded warheads<\/a> left over from the Cold War into a fuel for next-generation nuclear power plants. Now, a significant new deal in the works could allow five private companies to access weapons-grade plutonium for the first time \u2014 and convert it into electricity.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpn5ndko00053b6rg35oml7m@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            The Energy Department announced Tuesday it had selected advanced nuclear company Oklo Inc, as well as four other companies, to begin \u201cadvanced negotiations\u201d over whether the companies could access its Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program, according to a spokesperson for the department\u2019s office of Nuclear Energy. The negotiations aren\u2019t yet finalized.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpn5ndko00063b6rs9xwcihg@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            DOE\u2019s program could \u201chelp companies unlock the next level of private funding to broaden domestic nuclear fuel supplies, spur innovation on American recycling technologies, and unlock private sector funding to fuel the nation\u2019s nuclear renaissance,\u201d principal deputy assistant secretary of nuclear energy Mike Goff said in a statement.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpn5ndko00073b6rsy87h7yh@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            A potential plutonium deal with the Trump administration, if successful, could be a major step forward for advanced nuclear companies building small modular reactors, which are racing to obtain fuel for their power-making operations. But it could also spur concerns about nuclear proliferation, and the US cracking the door open for other countries to do the same.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpn5ndko00083b6reutai5hd@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cThe transfer of weapons-usable plutonium to private industry would increase the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation, including to rogue states or terrorists,\u201d a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markey.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/plutonium_transfer_to_private_industry.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">September letter<\/a> from Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Reps. Don Beyer of Virginia and John Garamendi of California reads. \u201cThe United States cannot effectively discourage other countries from using plutonium for civil purposes if we use it ourselves.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpn5ndko00093b6rjmqecp8z@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Small modular nuclear reactors require less upkeep and physical space than the existing fleet of hulking and aging nuclear power plants in the US. Some advanced nuclear companies are backed by big tech; there\u2019s a huge demand for their future power, as artificial intelligence greatly increases US electricity demand.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpn5ndko000a3b6rmx9j7nrv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            However, their current bottleneck is fuel.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpn5ndko000b3b6rmhqmxy1u@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Advanced nuclear reactors require a more energy-dense and highly-enriched uranium compared to conventional reactors. And until Russia launched its war with Ukraine in 2022, it had been the primary supplier of enriched uranium to the US.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpn5ndko000c3b6rvwu8bn6y@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Companies like Oklo see US plutonium stockpiles as a key ingredient to getting next-generation reactors fueled quickly, while other domestic enrichment capabilities in the US work to scale up. Oklo <a href=\"https:\/\/oklo.com\/newsroom\/news-details\/2025\/Oklo-and-Los-Alamos-National-Lab-Conduct-Fast-Spectrum-Plutonium-Criticality-Experiment\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">has been working<\/a> with the Energy Department\u2019s Los Alamos National Laboratory \u2014 the original site of the Manhattan Project \u2014 to run experiments testing its reactor technology.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpn5ndko000d3b6r2d6z2n1o@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cFuel supply constraints are a key throttle to advanced reactor development,\u201d said Oklo co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte in a statement. DeWitte said the DOE program could \u201ccreate a pathway\u201d to use extra plutonium \u201cas bridge fuel for advanced reactors to bring more reactors online sooner.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmpn53obn00053b6rir1ghr1p@published\" class=\"image_large-elevate vossi-image_large-elevate  image_large__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-name=\"c-GettyImages-2215966935.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image_large--eq-extra-small=\"\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\" data-original-height=\"1600\" data-original-width=\"2400\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/c-gettyimages-2215966935.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image_large__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image_large--eq-extra-small=\"\">\n       <picture class=\"image_large__picture\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"679\" media=\"(max-width: 479px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/c-gettyimages-2215966935.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_679,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"967\" media=\"(min-width: 480px) and (max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/c-gettyimages-2215966935.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_967,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"860\" media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/c-gettyimages-2215966935.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"860\" media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/c-gettyimages-2215966935.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"undefined\" width=\"860\" media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/c-gettyimages-2215966935.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/c-gettyimages-2215966935.jpg?c=original&amp;q=w_860,c_fill\" alt=\"US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (left) listens to Oklo CEO Jacob DeWitte speak in the Oval Office on May 23, 2025 during an executive order signing.\" class=\"image_large__dam-img image_large__dam-img--loading\" onload=\"this.classList.remove('image_large__dam-img--loading')\" onerror=\"imageLoadError(this)\" height=\"1600\" width=\"2400\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpn5nk6n000g3b6r561lftlf@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            In addition to Oklo, DOE selected companies Exodys Energy, SHINE, Standard Nuclear and Flibe Energy to enter into advanced negotiations on its plutonium program.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpn5nslu000i3b6rak0ezlkd@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Prior to pursuing a strategy of repurposing old plutonium for nuclear power fuel, the Biden administration\u2019s Energy Department and National Nuclear Security Administration had been pursuing a different strategy \u2014 seeking to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/nnsa\/articles\/nnsa-issues-final-surplus-plutonium-disposition-program-environmental-impact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dilute and bury<\/a> the plutonium deep underground in New Mexico.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpn5nslu000j3b6re9jvalef@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            But across both the Biden and Trump administrations, scientists and energy officials have been seeking ways to transform various parts of US nuclear stockpile into energy. At NNSA facilities, nuclear scientists have been making advanced reactor fuel \u2014 a process that creates a molten soup of weapons-grade uranium combined with low-enriched uranium, all mixed in a massive, metal cauldron heated to around 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpn5nslu000k3b6rf49hyrsm@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            In addition to this federal program, various private companies in the US are working to rebuild uranium enrichment capabilities.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpn5nslu000l3b6rcgbsh7c5@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            In a 2024 interview with CNN, Goff described the search within DOE for suitable nuclear fuel for advanced reactors as a \u201ccouch cushion exercise,\u201d in other words, looking high and low for anything that could get companies fuel more quickly.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_elevate\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmpn5nslu000m3b6rhobbonal@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cFuel access is one of the hardest problems in the advanced reactor industry right now, and it\u2019s a problem of chemistry and infrastructure as much as policy,\u201d said Greg Piefer, founder and CEO of SHINE, one of the companies selected by DOE, which specializes in recycling used nuclear fuel. \u201cTurning surplus material that\u2019s been sitting in storage into fuel for the next generation of reactors is exactly the kind of problem we built SHINE to solve.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summary The Trump administration has selected five private companies to negotiate access to weapons-grade plutonium from Cold War-era warheads. The<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31177,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_animmysite_disable_animation":false,"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2199664610.jpg?c=16x9&q=w_800,c_fill","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[213],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trending-sports-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31176\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31177"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}