Key Takeaways
Uranium Energy Corp. (NYSE: UEC) has started production at its Burke Hollow project in Texas, the first new in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium mine to come online in the United States in more than a decade, strengthening the domestic supply chain for nuclear fuel.
The company announced on April 8 that it received the final regulatory approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to begin operations. The approval makes Burke Hollow the newest ISR uranium mine in the world.
The start of production at Burke Hollow means UEC is now operating two of its three planned “hub-and-spoke” production platforms in the U.S., anchored by the country’s largest uranium resource base. The move follows recent capacity expansion approvals at the company’s Christensen Ranch ISR facility in Wyoming. In-situ recovery involves pumping solutions underground to dissolve uranium, which is then processed at the surface, a method generally considered to have a smaller environmental footprint than conventional mining.
The new production comes as U.S. policy increasingly favors shoring up domestic energy supply chains to reduce reliance on foreign imports. The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently reported that domestic uranium concentrate production jumped 217 percent quarter-over-quarter in the final three months of 2025, a sign that the industry’s reactivation is gaining momentum. This new capacity from UEC is poised to feed into a market where demand is rising, driven by a renewed interest in nuclear power for reliable, carbon-free electricity to power everything from urban centers to new AI data centers.
The Burke Hollow mine’s opening aligns with a broader geopolitical shift among Western nations to build secure, allied supply chains for critical minerals, including uranium. Recent government initiatives like the proposed $250 million Pax Silica Fund and direct equity stakes by U.S. development agencies in foreign miners underscore a strategy to treat mineral resources as a component of national security.
This trend is mirrored by market activity, where private capital is also flowing into the nuclear sector. The recent IPO filing by reactor developer X-Energy, Inc. reflects growing investor confidence in the next generation of nuclear technologies and the fuel cycles that will support them. As the U.S. and its allies work to de-risk their energy and defense manufacturing capabilities, domestic sources of uranium like Burke Hollow become strategically vital assets.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
