Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The U.S. Department of Energy has outlined urgent plans to modernize the nation’s nuclear weapons systems to maintain national security and nuclear deterrence. This effort includes development, modernization, and stewardship of the country’s atomic weapons enterprise, supporting the peaceful use of nuclear technology and nonproliferation goals. The Stockpile Stewardship program, established in the 1990s after the U.S. moratorium on nuclear testing, ensures the safety, security, and reliability of the nuclear weapons stockpile through advanced computational modeling, non-nuclear experiments, and sophisticated diagnostic techniques. Facilities such as the National Ignition Facility, Z-machine, and supercomputing centers enable scientists to simulate weapon conditions and analyze material aging without conducting nuclear detonations.
Beyond stockpile modernization, the Department emphasizes advancing American energy by expanding energy systems and technologies. The goal is to unleash abundant U.S. energy to support modern life and achieve lasting energy dominance. This includes prioritizing affordable and abundant nuclear energy commercialization, refilling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to protect security during crises, and strengthening the electric grid for reliable and secure electricity delivery. To achieve these aims, the Department is committed to more efficient permitting processes that encourage private sector investment and development of energy infrastructure to make energy more affordable, reliable, and secure.