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DOE consortium begins new initiative aimed at growing fuel cycle
The U.S Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, through its Defense Production Act (DPA) Nuclear Fuel Cycle Consortium, has begun a new initiative aimed at securing the nation’s nuclear fuel supply chain.
Called the Nuclear Dominance—3 by 33 campaign, the initiative aims, by 2033, to catalyze a secure and cost-competitive domestic fuel supply chain; accelerate advanced reactor deployment and close the fuel cycle; and explore how the DPA framework can be used to grow and align workforce, finance, innovation, and collaboration in support of nuclear build-out.
The initiative, which was announced on April 23, will begin a series of 60-day sprints designed to make rapid progress on the consortium’s goals, according to DOE-NE. The new initiative will address all facets of the nuclear fuel supply chain, including milling, conversion, enrichment, deconversion, fabrication, recycling, and reprocessing.
The consortium: The DPA Nuclear Fuel Cycle Consortium was formed last year to leverage voluntary agreements with companies, as the DOE said at the time, “to increase fuel availability, provide more access to reliable power, and end America’s reliance on foreign sources of enriched uranium and critical materials needed to power the nation’s nuclear renaissance.”
Development of the DPA consortium followed the Trump administration’s 2025 Executive Order 14302, “Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base,” which directs the secretary of energy to seek voluntary agreements with U.S. companies to strengthen the domestic nuclear fuel cycle.
According to DOE-NE, the consortium currently is composed of representatives from 90 companies spanning the nuclear industrial base.
Antitrust protection: Under the DPA, the DOE may enter into plans with representatives of private industry through voluntary agreements whereby companies can consult with one another and establish plans of action without fear of running afoul of antitrust laws. The DPA, however, requires that each proposed plan of action be reviewed by the U.S. attorney general prior to becoming effective.
The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division published approvals for the DPA Nuclear Fuel Cycle Consortium’s updated voluntary agreement and related plans of action on April 23.
Quotes: “The consortium’s work comes at a pivotal time for nuclear energy growth in our country,” said Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish. “I’m pleased with the dedication of the committee and am looking forward to rapid progress on near-term goals to achieve a robust American-made supply of nuclear fuel.”
Omeed A. Assefi, acting assistant attorney general of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, added, “The Defense Production Act is a powerful tool for addressing issues related to our nation’s defense and preparedness programs. We look forward to working with our DOE colleagues to achieve the DPA consortium’s goals of energy independence and reliable access to fuel America’s energy dominance.”
