Governor awards $100 million in matching funds to BWXT nuclear fuel facility
GILLETTE — Gov. Mark Gordon and the Wyoming Energy Authority announced Friday afternoon the award of $100 million in Large Project Energy Matching Funds to BWXT to help construct a TRISO fuel fabrication facility in Wyoming.
BWXT will match this grant award with $473 million.
The facility is expected to begin operations in late 2030, and according to the company, it “will not produce or store any high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel."
“This is about meeting real energy demand with real projects,” Gordon said in a press release. “Energy Matching Funds are not about government picking winners; they are about responding to market signals and investing where private capital, innovation and demand are already moving.”
Gillette Mayor Shay Lundvall called it a "powerful day" for Gillette and Wyoming's future.
“Governor Gordon’s decision to award BWXT significant matching funds is a clear vote of confidence in our people, our community, and our role in America’s energy and technology future," he said in the press release. "Gillette has always powered this nation, and now we are expanding that legacy. I want to thank Governor Gordon for his vision and leadership, and BWXT for believing in Gillette. This partnership represents momentum, opportunity, and pride and it reinforces that the best days for Gillette and Wyoming are still ahead.”
Both the public and private sectors have invested in nuclear technology, leading to an increased demand for uranium.
U.S. Sen. John Barrasso’s “Prohibiting Uranium Imports Act of 2024” banned the import of Russian fuel and highlighted Wyoming's dominance in uranium deposits as the state is projected to hold 54% of the market share.
BWXT's project builds on that anticipated production by adding fuel fabrication to Wyoming’s front-end fuel cycle supply chain. When completed, this project will bring with it more than 200 direct jobs when it reaches full operation, with an estimated annual payroll of more than $20 million.
In addition, economic modeling shows an additional 194 indirect and induced jobs with new payrolls exceeding $20 million annually.
Property taxes on the facilities will also be paid annually, and on average over the first ten years of operation, the facility is expected to contribute approximately $100 million in annual Gross State Product.
This investment aligns with President Donald Trump’s energy dominance strategy, which recognizes that America’s economic strength, national security, and technological leadership depend on the delivery of reliable, affordable, and dispatchable energy. That delivery includes nuclear energy, joining coal and natural gas as cornerstones of the nation’s future energy mix.
During a recent tour of Idaho National Laboratory, U.S. Energy Secretary Wright described the BWXT project as an example of a “nuclear renaissance."
“We're at the early age of a nuclear renaissance where we’re talking about all these reactors being built," he said. "They're going to run on fuel. Wyoming's been a tremendous energy state, across the spectrum. I would add nuclear fuel to that if I was Wyoming. And I love the great town of Gillette."
Gordon’s decision to invest in BWXT helps advance that national momentum and national security as this facility, when completed, will be the first nuclear fuel fabrication site built in the US in decades and will reduce America’s reliance on foreign fuel.
“This investment by the state of Wyoming supports BWXT’s goal to commercialize TRISO fuel for advanced nuclear reactors,” said Joe Miller, BWXT president of Government Operations, in the press release.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission license required for this facility is a 40-year license. The NRC also grants extensions of these licenses with several facilities now having operated for nearly 70 years.
This story was published on Dec. 19, 2025.