Description
The United States is undertaking an initiative to reestablish global leadership in nuclear energy, guided by Executive Orders signed on May 23, 2025. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE, or Department) seeks input from states interested in hosting potential Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses to anchor integrated, full‑cycle nuclear ecosystems that could co-locate and support the entire nuclear value chain while exploring durable pathways for managing used nuclear materials in a safe, secure, and fiscally responsible manner. These campuses must support functions such as fuel fabrication, enrichment, reprocessing used nuclear fuel, and disposition of waste, and could additionally support functions such as advanced reactor deployment, power generation, advanced manufacturing, and co‑located data centers, through integrated, forward-looking solutions, consistent with national safety, security, stewardship, long- term and fiscal responsibility goals. States are invited to indicate their interest and provide constructive feedback on the structure of the Innovation Campuses by submitting a clear articulation of their strategic priorities-- such as workforce development, infrastructure investment, economic diversification, or technology leadership-- along with their proposed appropriate scope of the Innovation Campuses and the specific funding structures, risk‑sharing approaches, and other support, incentives, or federal partnerships they would require to successfully host and sustain an Innovation Campus. DOE seeks information on approaches that (1) prioritize private and state capital; (2) rely on targeted, conditional, and time‑limited federal support, subject to the availability of appropriations and statutory authority; and (3) include robust financial assurances to protect federal taxpayers from open‑ended liabilities. DOE envisions significant workforce development, environmental safeguards, and proliferation‑resistant operations. This initiative has the potential to generate significant benefits, improve energy security and enhance international nuclear leadership.