### Executive Summary
To accelerate the U.S. nuclear renaissance, the Trump Administration is pursuing a multi-pronged approach to manage nuclear waste. This strategy involves investing in nuclear waste recycling technologies, funding research and development in nuclear waste management, and offering federal incentives for states willing to host spent fuel disposal and storage activities. However, the federal government has long lagged in this area, showing a decades-long stalemate between federal and state governments regarding the establishment of a permanent storage facility. Currently, the United States relies on 79 temporary sites to store over 95,000 metric tons of spent fuel. Projections indicate that the annual costs of compensations to nuclear utility owners for federal failure to remove spent fuel could reach nearly $62 billion by 2030. This insight outlines the current approach to managing nuclear waste in the U.S. and discusses crucial challenges in developing permanent disposal solutions essential for supporting a nuclear energy renaissance.
### Introduction
In efforts to catalyze the U.S. nuclear renaissance, the Trump Administration is taking a comprehensive approach to nuclear waste management. This includes providing federal incentives for states willing to volunteer as hosts for spent fuel disposal activities, investing in advanced nuclear waste recycling technologies, and establishing the Center for Spent Fuel Research. This initiative aims to bolster public confidence in the safety and efficacy of waste transportation and storage protocols.
Despite this renewed vigor, the federal government has repeatedly faltered in nuclear waste management, leading to a decades-long impasse in establishing a permanent storage facility. Over 95,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel currently reside at temporary storage sites across 79 locations. As federal mandates and deadlines to remove this waste lapse, the government is projected to owe nuclear utility owners almost $62 billion by 2030.
### U.S. Nuclear Energy Renaissance
The Department of Energy (DOE) recently issued a Request For Information (RFI) inviting states to volunteer as hosts for “Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses.” This initiative represents a significant step in the Trump Administration’s overarching goal to bolster the U.S. nuclear energy industry. In support of this ambition, President Trump signed four executive orders aimed at streamlining regulatory reviews, enhancing nuclear energy exports, and reforming the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
In an impressive display of international cooperation, Japan has committed $80–$100 billion to support a nuclear project in the U.S., specifically focusing on the construction of nuclear reactors by Westinghouse. Historically, nuclear power has served as a low-profile yet essential energy source for the U.S., generating about 20% of the nation’s total electricity and accounting for nearly half of its carbon-free energy output. Public and political support for nuclear energy, previously stymied by the 1979 Three Mile Island incident, has resurged, signified by bipartisan support for the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act of 2024.
### Overview of Nuclear Waste Management
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulates the handling, transportation, storage, and disposal of nuclear waste via a framework of stringent guidelines. Nuclear waste encompasses various radioactive materials, notably including uranium mill tailings, spent reactor fuel, and protective gear used by technicians.
Waste is classified as either high-level or low-level based on its radioactivity. Low-level waste includes items like uranium mill tailings and protective clothing, whereas high-level waste consists of irradiated, or spent, fuel, which is solid and stored in metal rods designed to contain high radioactivity.
While there are both temporary and permanent storage solutions for spent nuclear fuel, the U.S. continues to utilize temporary measures extensively. After removal from a reactor, spent fuel must be cooled in specially designed pools to mitigate radiation. Once sufficiently cooled, it is transferred to onsite storage in dry cask storage facilities. Permanent storage would involve deep geological repositories designed to isolate waste from the environment.
Finland is poised to become the first country to deploy a permanent geological storage facility at Onkalo, designed to permanently store 5,500 metric tons of nuclear waste, currently in its final safety review phase.
### U.S. Approach to Nuclear Waste Management
The current landscape of U.S. nuclear waste management relies heavily on temporary solutions. Despite legislative mandates established in the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA), no permanent disposal site or plan exists. The cooling pools and dry cask storage systems in place are essentially stopgap measures, and the cumulative amount of spent fuel is anticipated to reach approximately 180,000 metric tons as nuclear reactors are operationally retired.
As of today, over 95,000 metric tons of spent fuel is stored across 79 sites in more than 30 states, with this number growing due to the increasing production of spent nuclear fuel as evidenced in historical trend data. The Energy Information Administration reported a steady rise in nuclear waste production from 44.6 metric tons in 1970 to over 2,000 metric tons annually by 2017.
### Challenges of U.S. Approach to Nuclear Waste Management
One of the primary challenges faced by the U.S. regarding nuclear waste management is the absence of a permanent disposal repository for high-level nuclear waste. Both cooling pools and dry cask storage are inherently temporary, with the industry standard suggesting at least 10 years of cooling before moving to dry cask storage.
Congress had originally mandated the establishment of a permanent repository under the NWPA, imposing deadlines for waste disposal that the federal government has failed to meet, resulting in significant financial liabilities. Early attempts to identify a suitable site led to the designation of Nevada’s Yucca Mountain, which became embroiled in legal disputes and political challenges, ultimately halting efforts in 2010 even after significant investments had been made.
With the termination of the Yucca Mountain initiative, the NRC began to issue licenses for private interim storage facilities in Texas and New Mexico. However, opposition from local governments and legal challenges have complicated these developments, raising concerns that interim solutions might become de facto long-term storage.
The federal government’s financial obligations tied to the prolonged storage of spent nuclear fuel have drastically increased. In 2006, costs totaled $6.9 billion, rising to $39.2 billion in 2020, and expected to reach $61.9 billion by 2030 according to projections from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
### Trump’s Multi-pronged Approach to Manage Nuclear Waste
In January 2026, the DOE issued an RFI requesting states to host “Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses,” a strategic effort aimed at encompassing the entire nuclear fuel lifecycle, from fabrication and enrichment to reprocessing and waste management.
The DOE also collaborated with the Electric Power Research Institute on a project exploring if high burnup nuclear fuel can be stored in dry cask facilities for longer durations than the current 20-year limit. In parallel, the Office of Nuclear Energy has established the Center for Spent Fuel Research at the Idaho National Laboratory, thereby advancing essential research and gaining public trust regarding safe management of spent nuclear fuel.
Additionally, in February 2026, the DOE awarded $19 million to five companies focusing on research and development aimed at enhancing recycling technologies for spent nuclear fuel. This push aligns with the administration’s objectives to maximize power production, diminish reliance on foreign enriched uranium sources, and minimize the volume of nuclear waste stored across the country.
### Looking Forward
To substantially expand nuclear power generation in the U.S., concrete permanent high-level nuclear waste disposal solutions must be established. The scattering of approximately 100,000 metric tons of spent fuel across 79 temporary sites is neither sustainable nor desirable. The multifaceted strategy initiated by the Trump Administration is aimed at breaking the stagnation regarding nuclear waste management and fostering federal-state partnerships, marking a crucial juncture for the future trajectory of U.S. nuclear energy.