The American Uranium Enrichment Startup | Scott Nolan, General Matter

The U.S. faces a critical vulnerability in its nuclear energy supply chain due to a lack of domestic enrichment capacity, exacerbated by an upcoming 2028 ban on Russian uranium imports. Scott Nolan, co-founder and CEO of General Matter, explains that this bottleneck prevents the deployment of advanced reactors and limits the grid expansion required for AI data centers. General Matter aims to restore domestic capability by applying engineering principles learned at SpaceX, such as vertical integration and aggressive parallelization of development tasks. By managing the factory build as a core product rather than outsourcing, the company seeks to reduce costs and accelerate timelines. Ultimately, the transition to a robust, scalable nuclear fuel supply is essential for maintaining energy independence and meeting the massive electricity demands of modern technological infrastructure.