Trump admin wants nuclear startups to use plutonium for their reactors

The first StrictlyVC of 2026 hits SF on April 30. Tickets are going fast. Register now. Get Disrupt Early Bird savings of up to $410 by May 29, 11:59 p.m. PT. Register now. TechCrunch Desktop Logo TechCrunch Mobile Logo LatestStartupsVentureAppleSecurityAIApps EventsPodcastsNewsletters SearchSubmit Site Search Toggle Mega Menu Toggle Topics Latest Trump admin wants nuclear startups to use plutonium for their reactors Tim De Chant 3:37 PM PDT · May 26, 2026 For decades, the U.S. has had a plutonium problem. Around 100 tons of the stuff was made during the Cold War to go into powerful atomic bombs. But as nuclear stockpiles were dismantled, the government had to store the radioactive material in high-security facilities. Now, it wants startups to help get rid of some of it. The Department of Energy said Tuesday it has selected five nuclear startups to enter into negotiations with the government to receive a portion of the plutonium, which could potentially be used to power a new generation of nuclear reactors. The Department of Energy previously identified 34 tons of plutonium for disposal. The five startups include Oklo, Standard Nuclear, Shine Technologies, Flibe Energy, and Exodys Energy. Energy Secretary Chris Wright was previously on Oklo’s board, but he resigned when he joined the administration and said he has divested his shares. Sam Altman was Oklo’s board chair following its merger with his acquisition company, AltC; Altman resigned the position last year. While plutonium does exist in nature, it is more typically a byproduct of bombarding non-fissile uranium with neutrons. Once formed, that isotope of plutonium has a half-life of 24,000 years, meaning the government can’t just wait it out. Oklo is developing a reactor that can run on traditional uranium fuel as well as plutonium. The plutonium would help the company fuel its first reactors. Exodys Energy is also developing a reactor that can operate using some plutonium as part of mixed oxide fuel, or MOX, which blends uranium with plutonium. Flibe Energy is working toward a reactor that would run on plutonium and other byproducts of fission reactors. MOX is currently produced in France, and while the U.S. had plans to make it in South Carolina, the first Trump administration canceled the project after it blew through budgets and timelines. One of Oklo’s partners in the project, UK-based Newcleo, said it intends to build its own MOX fuel fabrication facility nearby. Not everyone is thrilled with the plan, though. Since the plutonium came from nuclear weapons, the security concerns are significant. “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,” Scott Roecker, a vice president at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, told the New York Times. For the startups, the next step is to enter into advanced negotiations with the government over security and the transportation of the plutonium.  When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence. Tim De Chant Senior Reporter, Climate Tim De Chant is a senior climate reporter at TechCrunch. He has written for a wide range of publications, including Wired magazine, the Chicago Tribune, Ars Technica, The Wire China, and NOVA Next, where he was founding editor. De Chant is also a lecturer in MIT’s Graduate Program in Science Writing, and he was awarded a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT in 2018, during which time he studied climate technologies and explored new business models for journalism. He received his PhD in environmental science, policy, and management from the University of California, Berkeley, and his BA degree in environmental studies, English, and biology from St. Olaf College. You can contact or verify outreach from Tim by emailing tim.dechant@techcrunch.com. May 27 Athens, Greece StrictlyVC Athens is up next. Hear unfiltered insights straight from Europe’s tech leaders and connect with the people shaping what’s ahead. Lock in your spot before it’s gone. Most Popular 6 kitchen gadgets that make adulting feel easier Lauren Forristal You can no longer Google the word ‘disregard’ Russell Brandom Six search engines worth trying now that Google isn’t really Google anymore Amanda Silberling Jensen Huang says he’s found a ‘brand new’ $200B market for Nvidia Julie Bort The SpaceX IPO filing is filled with AI bets, Starship dreams, and Elon Musk at the center Sean O'Kane Kirsten Korosec Sam Altman makes ‘mic drop’ offer to every Y Combinator startup Julie Bort Intuit to lay off over 3,000 employees to refocus on AI Ram Iyer X LinkedIn Facebook Instagram youTube Mastodon Threads Bluesky TechCrunchStaffContact UsAdvertiseCrunchboard JobsSite Map Terms of ServicePrivacy PolicyRSS Terms of UseCode of Conduct Google SearchSpotifyOuraTrump MobileMetaTech LayoffsChatGPT © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC.