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    The Trump administration has requested one and a half billion dollars over ten years to create a new national stockpile of U.S.-mined uranium. The budget request was revealed on February 10th of this year in the Administration 2021 budget which asks for one hundred and fifty million dollars. The administration says that supporting U.S. domestic uranium production over purchase of cheap imported uranium is a matter of vital national energy security. U.S. uranium companies have responded positively to the request to establish a uranium reserve.
     The reserve request is part of efforts to support the re-establishment of the U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain through domestic production and conversion of uranium. The DoE said that the reserve request is a priority of the Nuclear Fuels Working Group (NFWG). The NFWG was created after a July 2019 presidential directive that was a response to a Section 232 Petition submitted by two U.S. uranium mining companies, Energy Fuels Inc and Ur-Energy.
    Mark Chalmers is the President and CEO of Energy Fuels. Energy Fuels is the owner of the White Mesa uranium mill in Utah. The White Mesa mill is the only operating conventional uranium mill in the U.S. Energy Fuels also owns the in-situ leach projects at Nichols Ranch in Wyoming and Alta Mesa in Texas. Chalmer said that the creation of the reserve was "an important step toward addressing the devastating impact of our nation's overdependence on uranium imports from Russia and its allies, which is displacing free market uranium and forcing US mines out of business". He went on to say that, “We believe we are well-positioned to provide a significant portion of the uranium needed for the reserve … and we are able to commence ramping up production immediately."
     Wayne Heili is the managing director and CEO of Peninsula Energy in Australia. Peninsula Energy owns the Lance uranium project in Wyoming. Heili said that the U.S. needed around two to three million pounds of U.S. mined uranium to start the U.S. reserve depending on the price.  Heili also said that Peninsula “stands ready to provide uranium to help meet the strategic needs of the United States”.
     Blake Steele is the President and CEO of Azarga Uranium Corp. He said that the annual budget request for the creation of the reserve would amount to one and a half billion between 2021 and 2030. He also said that Azarga "anticipates being well positioned to realize the benefits of the Administration's support of the United States nuclear industry”.
    Corey Dias is the CEO of Anfield Resources which is based in Vancouver, Canada. Anfield has twenty-five uranium projects in Wyoming. He said that the company is “well positioned” to contribute to the U.S. reserve and that the proposal to develop a U.S. strategic uranium reserve was an important first step to provide U.S. producers with a “dedicated, improved domestic market.” He went on to say, “Moreover, the NFWG may have additional recommendations on which the Administration might act that could further improve the prospects of US-based uranium miners and producers.”