Congress introduces two nuclear energy bills targeting uranium enrichment regulations and Yucca Mountain waste repository status
Two bills introduced in the U.S. Senate earlier this month are targeting opposite ends of the nuclear energy cycle—one aimed at expanding domestic uranium enrichment capacity, the other at formally closing the book on Yucca Mountain. The MORE American Fuel Act, co-sponsored by Sens. Mark Kelly (D., Ariz.) and Cynthia Lummis (R., Wyo.), was introduced last Thursday. Days earlier, on Tuesday, Sens. Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto, both Nevada Democrats, introduced the Jobs, Not Waste Act.
Two bills introduced targeting nuclear fuel and waste policy
These two bills don’t just tackle different problems—they’re aimed at completely opposite ends of the nuclear energy cycle. The MORE American Fuel Act focuses on the front end: getting more uranium enriched right here in the U.S. The Jobs, Not Waste Act deals with the back end, figuring out what to do with the waste nuclear power leaves behind. Together, they throw a spotlight on two of the most stubborn, unresolved pressure points in U.S. nuclear energy policy.
The MORE American Fuel Act is a bipartisan push from Sens. Kelly and Lummis to modernize NRC licensing rules for uranium enrichment facilities. Sponsors argue that current regulations are outdated and actively blocking new domestic capacity. The Jobs, Not Waste Act, introduced by Nevada’s two Democratic senators, would officially terminate Yucca Mountain’s designation as the national nuclear waste repository—a status the site has held on paper for decades without ever becoming operational.
“As the Russian uranium ban looms, there is no better time for the United States to build its own enrichment capacity than right now,” said Sen.
Why lawmakers say regulatory reform and waste policy changes are needed now
Timing is a big part of this story. A U.S. ban on Russian low-enriched uranium is set to take full effect in 2028, and that deadline is focusing minds in Congress. Russia has historically been one of the largest suppliers of enriched uranium to the U.S., and with that supply line closing, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are pushing hard for faster domestic production.
“As the Russian uranium ban looms, there is no better time for the United States to build its own enrichment capacity than right now,” said Sen. Lummis in a news release accompanying the bill’s introduction.
On the waste side, the urgency looks different—but it’s just as real. Yucca Mountain has faced decades of opposition from Nevada lawmakers, tribal communities, and the public, which has effectively kept the site from ever being finalized even though it remains legally designated as the repository. The Trump administration has recently signaled it’s moving away from Yucca Mountain, and Nevada’s senators say that shift makes formal legislative action even more necessary.
What the MORE American Fuel Act would change for enrichment facilities
The bill’s most significant procedural change is straightforward: applicants could start construction on uranium enrichment facilities before the NRC issues an operating license—a real departure from current rules, which require a license before breaking ground on anything.
Pre-license construction wouldn’t be a free-for-all, though. Applicants would have to give advance written notice to state, local, and tribal governments before starting work, keeping relevant communities in the loop without grinding the process down to the pace of the current licensing regime.
Mandatory public hearings on applications would be eliminated—something sponsors say removes an unnecessary procedural burden. The public would still retain the right to request hearings, so that option isn’t going away entirely. Environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act would still be required before any uranium is enriched or stored on-site, and the NRC’s authority over enrichment facilities would be preserved. Patrick White, an advanced nuclear technology and regulation expert at the Clean Air Task Force, described the bill as creating “pathways for accelerated construction” while supporting “new enrichment capacity that is vital to deploying new nuclear reactors.”
What the Jobs, Not Waste Act would require for Yucca Mountain
The Jobs, Not Waste Act is direct about what it wants. It would require the Department of Energy to withdraw and terminate the licensing proceeding for the Yucca Mountain repository at the NRC—not a pause or a delay, but a formal end to the whole process.
The DOE would also have to reclaim the site and address any adverse environmental impacts from prior work there. Separately, the Office of Management and Budget would be directed to study the site’s viability for alternative uses, leaving open the possibility that Yucca Mountain could eventually serve some other purpose, according to the American Nuclear Society.
“Nevadans have always been clear that we will not allow nuclear waste to be stored at Yucca Mountain,” Sen. Rosen said in a statement. A similar version of the Jobs, Not Waste Act was introduced in 2024 but didn’t advance.
Background: Domestic nuclear fuel supply and the long road on nuclear waste
The U.S. has long leaned on imported enriched uranium, with Russia among the largest suppliers. As domestic reactor deployment has picked up in recent years, that dependence has drawn growing scrutiny, and building a reliable domestic fuel supply chain has become a priority for energy security advocates across the political spectrum.
On the waste side, things are equally unresolved. Yucca Mountain was designated as the national repository under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1987. It has never been licensed or opened. Spent nuclear fuel has kept accumulating at reactor sites across the country in the decades since, sitting in temporary storage with no permanent solution anywhere close to being in place.
Streamline NRC licensing for enrichment facilities
Both bills are in early stages, and neither is guaranteed to move forward. What they clearly signal is that Congress is actively revisiting two foundational questions—how the U.S. produces its nuclear fuel, and what it does with the waste that fuel eventually generates.
The MORE American Fuel Act would streamline NRC licensing for enrichment facilities, letting construction begin before a license is issued while keeping environmental reviews and NRC oversight intact. The Jobs, Not Waste Act would formally end Yucca Mountain’s repository designation and direct federal agencies to study the site for alternative uses. Taken together, they reflect growing pressure from both parties to move U.S. nuclear energy policy past some long-standing dead ends.
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
