SEN CYNTHIA LUMMIS: Don’t hand China the nuclear future — build it here at home
Wyoming has been powering this country for over a century. If you look at the Wyoming state flag, specifically the seal in the middle of the bison, there is a miner pictured to represent the priority we have long placed on powering the country. Most people think of coal, oil, natural gas and other mineral resources when they think about our state. But Wyoming is also leading the way when it comes to the nuclear energy industry.
The incredible demand for energy, both here at home and worldwide, driven by the artificial intelligence boom, is not slowing down anytime soon. This industry requires vast amounts of reliable baseload power, and the countries that can deliver it will control the next era of economic and technological leadership.
For more than a decade, America’s electricity demand barely budged. That era is completely over. Demand jumped 3% in 2024 alone, and in the coming years, the EIA predicts we will need close to a trillion more kilowatt-hours than we use today. To put that in perspective, that's roughly equivalent to powering every home in America twice. Wyoming has the uranium, the workforce and the next-generation technology to help meet that moment.
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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) approval last week of a construction permit for TerraPower's Kemmerer Power Station, a sodium-cooled advanced nuclear reactor to be built in western Wyoming, is a big deal for our state. The approval of this permit is proof that when industry and government operate with focus, efficiency and integrity, America can build tomorrow's technologies right here at home in a reasonable regulatory timeframe. The NRC, under President Trump’s leadership, has delivered on this approval ahead of its own timeline, demonstrating that America is serious about leading in this industry.
Wyoming sits atop the largest uranium deposits in the country. During the Cold War, Wyoming was one of the nation's top uranium producers — a legacy that didn't disappear, it's been waiting for the right moment to return. With the right regulatory framework and private sector investment, that moment is now. Wyoming miners and energy workers have the experience and the tools to extract these resources responsibly, and to help safely expand nuclear power across the country.
This policy fight is larger than one single community or facility. It is about reclaiming America's nuclear fuel supply chain from our adversaries and restoring next-generation nuclear energy production here at home. For decades, we made the costly mistake of purchasing uranium from Russia. I proudly led the successful congressional effort to ban that practice, and today President Trump, Interior Secretary Burgum and Energy Secretary Wright are working to rebuild America’s uranium and nuclear supply chain from the ground up. We cannot afford to depend on foreign powers for any resources fundamental to our energy security.
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Both China and Russia have rapidly boosted nuclear energy production in the last 10 years and are aggressively working to export their own nuclear technology. Countries around the world are interested in embracing nuclear energy, and it is vital that Wyoming and the United States lead the way instead of surrendering that economic opportunity, technology and mining dominance to our competitors. China leads the world in nuclear reactor construction, with over 30 new plants underway. But they aren’t just building them for themselves. Beijing desperately wants to export their nuclear technology around the world, and tie other countries to Chinese designs and Chinese supply chains for decades to come.
Wyoming isn't going to let that happen without a fight. The Kemmerer Power Station puts us at the front of this race. It will power our communities, put Wyoming workers to work, and show the rest of the world how next-generation nuclear energy actually gets done.
Wyoming has always been, and will always be, an energy state. It’s what we do, it’s our expertise, and we are proud of it. As America’s energy and electricity needs grow, Wyoming must be the state to meet the demand and provide it at a price that American families and companies can afford. I believe that nuclear power will be a critical component of the baseload playbook for the future.
The Trump administration has worked extremely hard to ensure that our energy grid will continue to be secure and loaded. Wyoming is not just ready for the energy future; we are leading it.