The United States is reportedly exploring the possibility of repurposing plutonium recovered from dismantled Cold War-era nuclear warheads as fuel for next-generation nuclear reactors.

The initiative is being considered amid concerns over long-term uranium supply constraints and growing reliance on foreign sources of enriched uranium.

According to the report, the Department of Energy has shortlisted five nuclear companies, including firms developing small modular reactors (SMRs), to assess the feasibility of using this material for civilian nuclear energy production.

The plutonium in question comes from an estimated surplus of around 50 tons, originally intended to be diluted and permanently disposed of through burial.However, the disposal strategy was paused after policy changes, opening the door to potential commercial use of a portion of the stockpile.Reports suggest that up to 20 tons could eventually be made available to private industry.The proposal has drawn significant criticism from lawmakers and nonproliferation advocates.

Opponents argue that transferring weapons-grade plutonium into civilian energy systems could increase the risk of nuclear proliferation, including diversion by hostile states or non-state actors.Some members of Congress have also warned that the move could undermine U.S.credibility in discouraging other countries from using plutonium for civilian nuclear purposes.Beyond security concerns, experts also point to technical and economic challenges.Converting plutonium into usable reactor fuel is complex and extremely costly, and its integration into commercial reactor designs remains uncertain.The difficulties facing the SMR sector, including canceled or delayed projects due to cost overruns, further complicate the proposal.

Despite these challenges, nuclear energy is experiencing renewed interest due to rising electricity demand, particularly from energy-intensive sectors such as artificial intelligence and data centers.Higher electricity prices have also improved the economic case for new nuclear construction.However, whether Cold War plutonium can realistically serve as a scalable and safe substitute for uranium remains highly debated.