US to resurrect Cold War-era nuclear plant after 30-year dormancy

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has signed a lease with General Matter to repurpose the Cold War-era Fuels and Materials Examination Facility (FMEF) at the Hanford Site in Washington state. The 190,000-square-foot facility, completed in 1984 but unused since 1993, will be transformed into a center for advanced nuclear fuel cycle technologies. This initiative is part of a broader federal strategy to secure reliable, domestic baseload power to support the growing artificial intelligence (AI) sector, which demands continuous and substantial energy supplies. General Matter is also advancing a related project in Paducah, Kentucky, where it recently secured a $900 million contract to accelerate production of specialized nuclear fuel for next-generation reactors. The revival of these dormant nuclear sites reflects a strategic shift to treat nuclear fuel production as a national security priority and reduce dependence on foreign energy providers. Work has already begun at the Paducah site, with land clearing underway for a new enrichment plant, and construction