Recycling Nuclear Waste Turns a National Liability into a Strategic Goldmine
With Russia currently dominating the global supply of enriched uranium—and the U.S. reliant on foreign sources for nearly 100% of its nuclear fuel—the stakes couldn’t be higher. But that may finally be about to change.
Consider a timely and high-impact interview with Ed McGinnis, CEO of Curio and former Acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy.
In May, President Trump issued historic executive orders aimed at ending America’s nuclear fuel dependence. His administration’s support through the Big Beautiful Bill marks the first time the U.S. has officially adopted a national strategy to commercialize nuclear fuel recycling—a move that could usher in a golden age for domestic nuclear energy.
At the center of this effort is Curio, a pioneering nuclear energy company working to build the first closed fuel cycle in American history. Its proprietary NuCycle® process extracts valuable materials from used nuclear fuel, reducing high-level radioactive waste by up to 97% and associated emissions by up to 88%.
In June, Curio signed a landmark MOU with the Utilities Service Alliance, a consortium representing over 40 U.S. and international nuclear power units. This agreement makes Curio the preferred partner for recycling and fuel supply across dozens of commercial reactors.
In an interview, Ed McGinnis can discuss:
- Why breaking Russia’s fuel monopoly is a national security imperative
- How recycling spent fuel unlocks 96% of untapped energy and slashes nuclear waste
- Why only Curio’s method prevents reprocessing from being weaponized
- What the new federal strategy means for America’s energy independence
McGinnis is uniquely positioned to offer insight—having overseen U.S. nuclear strategy at the DOE and now leading the company redefining its future.
Let me know if you’re interested in a feature or Q&A. Timing is ideal.
Relevant Articles:
Recycling Nuclear Waste: A Win-Win or a Dangerous Gamble? – Yale E360
Curio Aims To Solve The Nuclear Waste Problem–And Profitably
From waste to watts: Unlocking the power in used nuclear fuel | Argonne National Laboratory
OPTIONAL Q&A:
- What has caused the United States, which pioneered nuclear power, to become entirely dependent on foreign sources—particularly Russia—for enriched uranium?
- What are the national security implications of allowing Russia to dominate the global nuclear fuel supply, and how urgently must the U.S. act?
- How is Curio’s NuCycle® technology different from older reprocessing methods like PUREX or pyroprocessing, and why is it considered safer and more efficient?
- President Trump’s recent executive orders marked a major shift in U.S. nuclear policy. What do those orders mean for nuclear fuel recycling and for companies like Curio?
- How does NuCycle® recover 96% of the energy from spent nuclear fuel, and what impact does this have on waste volume, storage needs, and emissions?
- You’ve described the current moment as the beginning of a golden age for American nuclear energy. What makes this era different from past nuclear revivals?
- What does the newly signed MOU with the Utilities Service Alliance signal about Curio’s role in the commercial reactor fleet and your strategy going forward?
- Some critics argue that recycling spent nuclear fuel could increase proliferation risks. How does Curio prevent the weaponization of recovered materials?
ABOUT ED MCGINNIS…
Edward (Ed) McGinnis, is an accomplished senior U.S. government and industry executive with over 30 years of proven experience in the fields of nuclear energy, national and international nuclear energy policy and technical cooperation, national and international nuclear security and nonproliferation, science and technology policy and programmatic activities, international relations, and global energy policy and cooperation.
Ed’s experience includes serving as president and CEO of CURIO, at the White House as the Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), as Assistant Secretary (Acting) and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); leading DOE’s international nuclear energy policy and cooperation for over 10 years as Deputy Assistant Secretary; serving as the founding Chair of the 65-nation International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation (IFNEC) and its predecessor Presidential initiative – the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP); as founding Director of the Secretary of Energy’s Global Nuclear and Radiological Threat Reduction Task Force, and serving over 10 years in nuclear nonproliferation, including countering the global threat of nuclear weapons proliferation and serving in DOE’s Office of Foreign Intelligence.
CONTACT: To schedule an interview, email Bookings@SpecialGuests.com or call 512-966-0983
