Trump killed Yucca Mountain — now AI is driving America’s nuclear comeback

TLDR:

• Trump’s 2020 pledge to Nevada effectively killed the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump for good
• The U.S. is now pursuing “nuclear lifecycle innovation campuses” that recycle 97% of spent fuel
• Up to 15 states are seriously pursuing the campuses, which could also house AI data centers
• A top senator warns that winning the AI race means winning the energy race — and nuclear is key

The long-troubled plan to bury America’s nuclear waste beneath Nevada’s Yucca Mountain is dead — and the AI revolution may be what finally replaces it.

The Trump administration is pushing a new vision: “nuclear lifecycle innovation campuses” spread across the country that would recycle most spent fuel, slashing the need for a massive underground dump.

The pivot traces back to February 2020, when Mr. Trump broke with his own policy and posted on social media: “Nevada, I hear you on Yucca Mountain and my Administration will RESPECT you.” That post effectively ended the project.

Now in his second term, Mr. Trump’s alternative plan is moving fast. Up to 15 states are seriously pursuing the campuses, which would enrich uranium, recycle radioactive waste and store what remains, Theodore J. Garrish, assistant secretary of energy for nuclear energy, told Senate lawmakers.

The campuses could also house power-hungry AI data centers alongside advanced reactors — a combination Mr. Garrish said could save significant money.

“The race for AI, fundamentally, is a race for energy,” said Sen. John Barrasso, Wyoming Republican. “Nuclear energy has to play a key role.”

Read more:

• Nuclear recycling campuses slash need for buried radioactive dumps