Tennessee to Host First Private Nuclear Fuel Recycling Center in US

In a monumental win for energy independence and innovation, Oklo Inc. has announced plans to build the first-ever privately-funded nuclear fuel recycling center in the United States right in the heart of red-state Tennessee.

The facility represents a bold and necessary move to address one of nuclear energy’s most contentious challenges what to do with spent nuclear fuel. Rather than burying it deep underground, as with the long-stalled Yucca Mountain project, Oklo’s approach is to recycle it into usable fuel a process that slashes waste, boosts efficiency, and strengthens America's energy grid.

“By recycling used nuclear fuel at an industrial scale, we are turning waste into watts,” said Jacob DeWitte, Oklo’s co-founder and CEO. “Tennessee is showing the nation that recycling can be done commercially.”

The Numbers Speak for Themselves:

• $1.7 billion investment

• 800 new jobs

• Located in Tennessee, a state already leading in energy infrastructure

• Will supply metallic nuclear fuel for Oklo’s zero-emission Aurora fast reactors, which only need refueling once every 10 years

This development wouldn’t have happened without the bold leadership of President Donald Trump, whose 2020 executive order encouraged the rapid advancement of next-gen nuclear energy as a national security priority. Steve Milloy, a former Trump advisor and policy fellow at the Energy and Environment Legal Institute, put it plainly:

“President Trump’s leadership is the reason this breakthrough is happening.”

And he’s right. While the Biden administration drags its feet on domestic energy production, Oklo is proof that conservative energy policy gets real results.

Why It Matters

• The facility will recycle Cold War-era plutonium and spent nuclear fuel into clean, safe energy

• It creates a domestic supply chain for nuclear fuel, ending our reliance on foreign sources like Russia and China

• It drastically reduces waste volume and opens up more economical and efficient disposal options

Environmental activists, predictably, are already clutching their pearls but the science, the economics, and the national interest all point in the same direction: this is exactly the kind of energy project America needs right now.

Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute, celebrated the move:

“Everyone who wants American energy to be cleaner, more affordable, and more sustainable should be rejoicing today.”

Indeed, Tennessee is setting the gold standard. The state’s partnership with TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) and Oklo could lead to even more facilities and a growing role in America’s energy future. This isn’t just a win for Tennessee it’s a win for every American who’s tired of energy dependence, blackouts, and rising prices.

While the Left pushes unreliable wind and solar fantasies, the Right is backing real technology that delivers clean, powerful, and affordable energy.

And we’re just getting started.

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