DOE picks 5 companies to negotiate access to Cold War plutonium as reactor fuel

The Energy Department's Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program could turn roughly 20 metric tons of weapons-grade material into fuel for advanced reactors

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The U.S. Department of Energy selected five companies, including Oklo Inc. (NYSE: OKLO), to enter advanced negotiations over access to its Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program, which aims to convert Cold War-era weapons-grade plutonium into fuel for advanced nuclear reactors. The other four companies selected are Exodys Energy, SHINE Technologies, Standard Nuclear, and Flibe Energy, according to Reuters.

The negotiations are not yet finalized, according to CNN. Stockpiles of surplus plutonium — stored behind heavy security at weapons facilities across South Carolina, Texas, and New Mexico — carry a half-life of 24,000 years........

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