Five Republican-led states agree to host nuclear waste under new federal plan

Idaho, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah have signed agreements with the federal government to become sites for the nation’s nuclear waste, creating so-called Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses.

A new federal initiative has secured commitments from Idaho, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah to develop Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses that will house America’s nuclear waste alongside enrichment and related operations. Energy Secretary Chris Wright promoted the plan as a catalyst for economic growth, projecting tens of billions in private capital and $10 billion in tax revenue, while the states will seek their own financing.

The agreement arrives as the long-delayed Yucca Mountain repository remains politically dead, leaving waste stored at existing reactors. Analysts and safety experts caution that the effort primarily serves to locate a permanent dump, with no federal money earmarked for construction. They also stress the long-term environmental and intergenerational risks posed by waste that can remain radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years. The proposal may require changes to the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act, raising questions about congressional support.