Trump administration wants nuclear startups to use plutonium for their reactors

Source: TechCrunch

The United States has accumulated roughly 100 tons of plutonium produced during the Cold War for nuclear weapons. As nuclear stockpiles were dismantled, this material has been stored in high‑security facilities. The Department of Energy (DOE) is now seeking to partner with private nuclear startups to help reduce the stockpile.

DOE selection of nuclear startups

On Tuesday, the DOE announced that it has selected five nuclear startups to enter negotiations for receiving portions of the plutonium inventory. The agency previously identified 34 tons of plutonium for disposal【https://www.energy.gov/nepa/doeeis-0549-surplus-plutonium-disposition-program】.

The selected companies are:

• Oklo
• Standard Nuclear
• Shine Technologies
• Flibe Energy
• Exodys Energy

Energy Secretary Chris Wright was formerly on Oklo’s board; he resigned upon joining the administration and has divested his shares. Sam Altman, who served as Oklo’s board chair after its merger with AltC, stepped down from that role last year.

Reactor concepts that could use plutonium

• Oklo is developing a reactor capable of running on traditional uranium fuel as well as plutonium, which would help fuel its first reactors.
• Exodys Energy is pursuing a reactor that can operate with mixed‑oxide (MOX) fuel, blending uranium and plutonium.
• Flibe Energy is working toward a reactor that would run on plutonium and other fission by‑products.

MOX fuel is currently produced in France. The United States previously planned to manufacture MOX in South Carolina, but the project was canceled by the Trump administration after exceeding budgets and timelines. One of Oklo’s partners, U.K.–based Newcleo, intends to build its own MOX fuel fabrication facility nearby.

Security and disposal concerns

Because the plutonium originates from nuclear weapons, security considerations are significant. Scott Roecker, vice president at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, warned that “countries have tried this before, and they concluded that, as nice as it would be to use that plutonium as fuel, it’s really just a liability and we need to dispose of it permanently”【https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/26/climate/plutonium-nuclear-weapons-fuel.html】.

Next steps for the startups

The selected companies will now engage in advanced negotiations with the DOE covering security protocols and the transportation of plutonium.