Understanding Utility Procurement Dynamics in Nuclear Energy with Joe Kelly

In this episode of Going Nuclear, hosts Trevor Hall and Justin Huhn of Uranium Insider examine the growing disconnect between uranium equities and the underlying nuclear fuel market. The conversation begins with the recent weakness in uranium stocks before turning to major developments reshaping the global nuclear industry, including the proposed U.S.–South Korea nuclear construction partnership, Uranium Energy Corp.'s expansion into uranium conversion, and Urenco's efforts to expand enrichment capacity in the United States. But the biggest story may be unfolding in Kazakhstan. Justin breaks down Russia's attempt to secure a major long-term uranium supply agreement with Kazatomprom—and why the rejection of that proposed contract could reveal important pressures within Russia's nuclear fuel supply chain. Could Russia's enormous enrichment and reactor export business be creating additional uranium demand that investors are overlooking? Trevor and Justin also examine whether an AI investment bubble could threaten nuclear energy stocks, why hyperscaler demand is not essential to the uranium investment thesis, and what could eventually push uranium prices back above $100 per pound.

The uranium spot price is back above $90 per pound, the long-term contract price has reached record nominal levels, and some of the world's largest nuclear fuel buyers are becoming increasingly aggressive. So why are uranium equities struggling to respond?On this episode of Going Nuclear, Trevor Hall and Uranium Insider’s Justin Huhn break down the latest developments across the uranium and nuclear fuel markets. Justin explains what's driving the recent strength in spot uranium, why traders are increasingly reluctant to sell physical material, and why utilities and producers continue to step in on even modest price weakness.Trevor and Justin also examine the increasingly complicated relationship between AI, data centers and nuclear energy. While hyperscaler investment has helped fuel enthusiasm for nuclear equities, Justin argues the uranium bull thesis doesn't require an AI boom. Extending the operating lives of the existing reactor fleet alone provides significant long-term uranium demand, regardless of how quickly new data centers or SMRs are ultimately built.The conversation then turns to what may be the most important development in the uranium market: Russia is buying uranium. Kazatomprom has disclosed major contracts involving both China and Russia, with Justin explaining why Rosatom entering the market as a uranium buyer is particularly significant given Russia's enormous position across enrichment, conversion and uranium production. Meanwhile, China continues accumulating material, Japan has returned to the market, and Kazatomprom is warning Western utilities that future supply won't simply be waiting for them.Finally, Trevor and Justin discuss expectations for $130–$150 uranium, record pricing across much of the nuclear fuel cycle, and Saudi Arabia's headline-grabbing announcement of a massive uranium-bearing resource—and why Justin thinks that particular story matters far less to near-term uranium supply than the headlines suggest.

In this episode of Going Nuclear, Trevor Hall and Justin Huhn sit down with Colin Healey, CEO of Premier American Uranium, for a wide-ranging discussion on the future of uranium exploration and production in the United States. Colin shares his perspective after more than 16 years as a leading uranium equity analyst, explaining why today's supply-demand fundamentals, government policy, and growing nuclear demand create one of the strongest setups the sector has seen in decades. The conversation also explores Premier American Uranium's portfolio in Wyoming and New Mexico, the challenges and opportunities of permitting new uranium projects, and why domestic production has become a strategic priority for the United States. Trevor, Justin, and Colin also discuss the role of utilities, evolving contracting dynamics, and why the uranium market may be entering a period where producers have greater influence over pricing than ever before.

Deep Isolation CEO Rod Baltzer joins Going Nuclear to discuss one of the least understood but most important challenges facing the future of nuclear energy: long-term nuclear waste disposal. The conversation explores how Deep Isolation is applying advanced directional drilling technology from the oil and gas sector to create deep borehole disposal systems designed to safely isolate spent nuclear fuel far underground for thousands of years. Rod explains the current bottlenecks surrounding nuclear waste management, the economics of storage and disposal, and why solving the backend of the fuel cycle is becoming increasingly important as small modular reactors and advanced nuclear technologies scale globally. From public market ambitions and international partnerships to the engineering behind disposal canisters and horizontal boreholes, this episode offers a rare deep dive into the future of nuclear waste infrastructure.

In this episode of Going Nuclear, Trevor Hall and Justin Huhn unpack the growing disconnect between quiet uranium markets and increasingly bullish fundamentals building beneath the surface. The conversation dives into a wave of global reactor restarts, shifting energy policy toward sovereignty, and why the nuclear narrative has moved beyond decarbonization toward grid stability and security. Justin also outlines how U.S. regulatory reform and fuel cycle constraints could reshape the long-term uranium market, even as prices remain rangebound today. It’s a timely look at why the “de-risking” of nuclear may not be priced in—yet.