DOE Highlights Strategic Importance of Isotopes During House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus Event
Speakers at the event (from left to right): Jack Craig (Moderator, AtkinsRealis US Nuclear), Under Secretary Darío Gil, Edwin Deshong (Manager, Savannah River Operations Office), and Erik Olds (Manager, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management)
U.S. Department of Energy Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil announced a major advancement in domestic stable isotope production while highlighting the Department's expanding isotope mission during a July 15 meeting of the House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus. Speaking before Members of Congress, congressional staff, industry leaders, and DOE stakeholders, Gil emphasized how DOE's isotope enterprise is advancing cancer therapies, strengthening national security, enabling next-generation technologies, and reinforcing America's scientific leadership.
The event, DOE's Isotope Mission: Legacy Cleanup Saving Lives and Powering America's Future, showcased the critical role of the Department's Office of Isotope R&D and Production (IRP), within the Office of Science, in ensuring the Nation has access to the essential isotopes needed for medicine, industry, research, energy, and national security. Through a coordinated network of national laboratories and university partners, IRP researches, develops, produces, and distributes isotopes while fostering public-private partnerships that strengthen domestic supply chains and enable commercial markets.
This collective effort serves as a prime example of how the Department comes together as one unified enterprise to address the critical needs of the nation. Environmental Management (EM), Nuclear Energy (NE), and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) drive massive, vital operations across their respective domains within the Department. By marshaling the unique resources, infrastructure, and expertise of EM, NE, and NNSA, the Office of Science guides the strategic direction and delivery of the Department's isotope portfolio. The Department-wide partnership on this initiative is essential and ensures that the collective strength of the entire DOE enterprise is channeled into securing America's supply chains.
"We are successfully securing a critical supply chain that will define the next century of national security, economic sovereignty, and technological dominance. All made possible by the DOE," Gil said.
Gil concluded by emphasizing that the Nation's future demand for isotopes will continue to grow across quantum technologies, fusion energy, medicine, and national security. He called for sustained investment in research, infrastructure, and public-private partnerships to ensure the United States remains the global leader in isotope science while delivering the critical materials that power innovation, strengthen domestic supply chains, advance national security, and improve human health.
