Critical Minerals in Nuclear Supply Chains

  • Author: P. Porter Bradley and Mark Deinert, Colorado School of Mines
  • Session: National Security Implications of Critical Minerals and the Clean Energy Transition

Nuclear energy accounted for near half of emissions-free electricity generation in the US
in 2022 with the industry encompassing ~ 500,000 jobs. The nuclear supply chain spans a broad
spectrum of activities, ranging from uranium extraction and enrichment to the construction,
operation, decommissioning, and waste management of nuclear plants.