MOHAVE COUNTY – For the past three years Mohave County Supervisor Buster Johnson has been working with Congress to pass a bill that would end America’s reliance on Russian uranium. This past week Congress unanimously passed the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Act. “Nuclear fuel produced by Russia accounts for more than 20 percent of the fuel used by U.S. reactors,” Supervisor Buster Johnson stated. “This bill will ban these fuel imports from Russia and help restore America’s nuclear leadership and fuel infrastructure.”
This legislation was spearheaded by Chairs Rodgers and Duncan of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, along with Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and John Barrasso of Wyoming, who hold prominent positions in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “I want to extend my gratitude to Senator Barrasso for his efforts in shepherding this bill through the Senate and finally getting it passed unanimously,” remarked Johnson. The bill had encountered delays in the Senate since December of last year, primarily due to objections from Senator Ted Cruz on unrelated issues, who withheld his support until those matters were addressed. “The US spends roughly $1 billion per year on nuclear fuel from Russia. With this band, we can take that money and put it towards developing our own domestic supply,” Johnson continued.
Under the proposed law, Russian uranium imports would be prohibited 90 days after enactment, with a temporary waiver option available until January 2028. Presently, Russia supplies a quarter of the uranium consumed by the 90 commercial nuclear reactors in the United States. “At a time when the United States has abundant supplies of uranium in our backyard, this reliance on Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and China defies common sense. It is wrong for American electricity rate payers to be financing Russia’s war against Ukraine through uranium purchases,” Johnson said.
The inclusion of a waiver provision in the legislation addresses concerns about potential supply shortages. Some experts worry about possible retaliation from Russian President Vladimir Putin, which could lead to a surge in uranium prices. However, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) asserts readiness for any contingency. Given the infrequent refueling cycles of nuclear plants and the advance nature of contracts, the DOE believes the U.S. has several years to establish new uranium conversion and enrichment capabilities to replace Russian imports. Moreover, the import ban will unlock $2.7 billion from previous legislation to bolster the domestic uranium industry.
The legislation is now heading to President Biden’s desk where he has indicated he will sign it.
