By Laila Kearney

NEW YORK, April 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. produced more uranium concentrate, which is used to fuel nuclear reactors, in the last three months of 2024 than it had in any quarter in the last six years, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.

Higher prices of uranium and the resumption of production at the White Mesa Mill in Utah, which is the country's only active uranium mill, spurred the output increase, the EIA said in a report.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The rise of U.S. electricity demand brought by data centers, onshored manufacturing and the electrification of transportation and buildings has renewed interest in power supplied by the country's long-struggling nuclear energy industry.

Companies are now in the process of attempting to restart two fully shut nuclear reactors, including one at the former Three Mile Island facility. In an effort to kick-start the domestic supply chain for nuclear power, the federal government offered contracts to six companies to make uranium fuel late last year.

BY THE NUMBERS

Output of the concentrate totaled 375,401 pounds in the fourth quarter of last year, which was higher than the total production for each of the three prior years, the EIA said. The supply, most of which came from two processing facilities in Texas and Wyoming, was more than triple what was produced in the third quarter of 2024, which totaled 121,296 pounds.

(Reporting by Laila Kearney; Editing by Paul Simao)

((Laila.kearney@thomsonreuters.com; (917) 809-0054;))