Energy Department selects five companies for plutonium negotiations

The Energy Department announced last week it had selected five private companies to begin advanced negotiations on access to the federal government's surplus plutonium stockpile. The companies are Oklo, Exodys Energy, SHINE, Standard Nuclear and Flibe Energy.

The plutonium was originally produced for Cold War-era weapons and is now being considered for use as fuel in small modular nuclear reactors.

Senator raises concerns A Democratic senator wrote to President Trump that the move could set a dangerous precedent for other nations and would cost significantly more than the previous plan to dilute and dispose of the material underground in New Mexico.

The letter stated that for five decades the United States has avoided commercial use of plutonium to prevent extraction by countries or terrorists for nuclear weapons.

Department response An Energy Department spokesperson said the agency is evaluating opportunities to use surplus plutonium that has no identified weapons use and does not fall into national security reserve categories. The spokesperson added that any transfer would be subject to rigorous safety, security, and nonproliferation requirements, and that participating companies undergo extensive vetting including foreign ownership reviews and security clearances.

A White House spokesperson declined to comment and referred questions to the Energy Department.