For decades, spent nuclear fuel has been viewed primarily as a long-term storage challenge. But what if it could become one of America’s greatest energy assets?

In a recent episode of WTW’s The Atomic Effect podcast, Metatomic Founder and CEO Mike Stake discusses how the United States’ approximately 94,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel still contains roughly 95% of its original energy potential. Rather than treating this material as waste requiring permanent storage, Metatomic is advancing a dry, non-aqueous reprocessing technology that can recover its remaining value while supporting the next generation of advanced nuclear reactors.

The conversation explores why the growing demand for reliable, carbon-free electricity—from AI data centers, manufacturing, and grid modernization—is driving renewed interest in nuclear energy. It also highlights why solving the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle is becoming just as important as building new reactors. Instead of expanding long-term storage indefinitely, advanced fuel recycling technologies offer an opportunity to reduce waste, improve resource utilization, strengthen energy security, and create a more sustainable nuclear future.

Mike Stake explains how Metatomic’s approach differs from traditional reprocessing methods by using a dry process designed to avoid separating pure fissile materials while converting spent nuclear fuel into a usable feedstock for advanced molten salt reactors. This approach is intended to simplify the fuel cycle while maintaining a strong focus on safety, proliferation resistance, and commercial scalability.

The podcast ultimately reframes the discussion around spent nuclear fuel. Rather than asking, “How do we dispose of it?” the industry can begin asking, “How do we responsibly unlock the energy that’s already there?” As advanced reactor technologies continue to mature, America’s existing inventory of spent fuel could become a strategic domestic energy resource instead of a long-term liability.

Listen to the full podcast: WTW – A Second Life for Nuclear Fuel