US President Joe Biden has signed a bipartisan bill that bans imports of Russian uranium. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan called the law "historic," emphasizing that it will strengthen energy and economic security, and potentially eliminate dependence on Russia for nuclear energy.
"The new law restores America's leadership in the nuclear sector. It will help ensure our energy sector is secure for future generations. With the unprecedented $2.72 billion in federal funding that Congress recently appropriated at the President's request, the law will bring new U.S. capacity online and send a message to the industry that we are committed to the long-term growth of our nuclear sector," he added.
At the start of the all-out war, the US did not impose a ban on Russian uranium imports because the supplies were "critical to US nuclear power plants".
In early March this year, the Senate voted to favor a bipartisan bill to ban Russian uranium imports. The ban would take effect 90 days after the bill's passage. It also provides incentives through 2028 for utilities that will be forced to shut down nuclear reactors after supply.
In addition, last December, the US agreed with Canada, France, Japan, and the UK to jointly invest $4.2 billion to expand enrichment capacity in the countries.
US companies have been paying Russia about $1 billion a year for enriched uranium, the main fuel for commercial nuclear reactors. "Rosatom" supplied about 20 percent of the enriched uranium used in 93 nuclear reactors in the United States.
