VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Equity Insider - News Commentary – The North American nuclear landscape has shifted from planning to rapid execution, sparked by a $2.7 billion U.S. Department of Energy commitment to onshore uranium enrichment^[1]. This massive structural realignment was further bolstered by an $800 million federal award to accelerate the deployment of small modular reactors^[2], moving the industry beyond policy talk and into direct capital deployment. As the market re-rates the entire fuel cycle, several key platforms are emerging as leaders in domestic energy security, including Eagle Energy Metals (OTC: SVIIF) (Soon-to-be under symbol ‘NUCLR’), Centrus Energy (NYSE: LEU), NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE: SMR), Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE-A: UUUU) (TSX: EFR), and Canada Nickel Company (TSXV: CNC) (OTCQB: CNIKF).

Global investment in nuclear capacity is projected to triple by 2035, reaching approximately $210 billion as nations race toward ambitious 2050 power targets^[3]. This secular transition is fueled by a new federal mandate that treats domestic critical minerals—from uranium to nickel—as vital national infrastructure^[4]. In this unified industrial push, companies with execution-ready projects are being positioned to command the essential backbone of Western energy sovereignty.

Eagle Energy Metals (OTC: SVIIF) (Soon-to-be under symbol ‘NUCLR’) announced this week that it has engaged BBA USA Inc., a consulting firm with over 45 years of energy sector experience, to design a targeted drilling campaign at its Aurora Uranium Project in support of an eventual Pre-Feasibility Study. The timing matters because the company is soon heading toward a NASDAQ listing under the ticker symbol NUCL through a business combination with Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. II (OTC: SVIIF), the same SPAC team that brought NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE: SMR) public in 2022.

Eagle Energy holds rights to what it describes as the largest open pit-constrained, measured and indicated uranium deposit in the United States. The Aurora deposit sits on the Oregon-Nevada border with 32.75 million pounds of indicated uranium and 4.98 million pounds inferred, based on over 500 drill holes. Adjacent to Aurora is the Cordex deposit, which has seen over 100 holes drilled and offers potential resource expansion as the company digitizes existing data.

"We're seeing sustained demand for nuclear power translate into real demand for uranium, particularly for projects located in the U.S.," said Mark Mukhija, CEO of Eagle Energy Metals. "Advancing Aurora with BBA is about making sure this asset is ready to meet that demand as the market continues to tighten."

The domestic supply situation provides context for the company's positioning. In 2023, U.S. utilities purchased more than 50 million pounds of uranium, with less than 5% obtained from limited domestic production and over 95% sourced from abroad, including significant amounts from Russia and Kazakhstan.

President Trump recently signed four executive orders aimed at removing regulatory barriers and quadrupling U.S. nuclear power over the next 25 years, while invoking the Defense Production Act to secure domestic uranium supply.

Meanwhile, electricity demand is accelerating as AI, quantum computing, and cryptocurrency operations strain global grids. Meta recently announced plans to build a $10 billion AI data center in Louisiana powered by nuclear energy from Constellation Energy, while Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle, and Nvidia have struck major deals to power their operations with nuclear.

Beyond uranium, Eagle Energy Metals also holds proprietary Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology. With BBA's technical continuity (they authored Aurora's SK-1300 Technical Report Summary in August 2025), existing infrastructure, and access to low-cost hydropower in a mining-friendly jurisdiction, the company is advancing its asset as domestic uranium supply becomes increasingly prioritized.

Centrus Energy (NYSE: LEU) was awarded $900 million by the U.S. Department of Energy to expand its uranium enrichment facility in Piketon, Ohio, to include commercial-scale production of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium. The competitively-awarded federal funding will support Centrus' previously announced multi-billion dollar expansion that will also include additional Low-Enriched Uranium production to serve commercial utilities and the existing reactor fleet, with the project expected to support 1,000 construction jobs and 300 new operating jobs in Ohio while retaining 150 existing positions.

"This award represents a historic commitment to revitalizing America's nuclear fuel supply chain and reclaiming American nuclear leadership on the global stage," said Amir Vexler, President and CEO of Centrus Energy. "I am grateful to the Trump Administration for making this commitment and to Republicans and Democrats in Congress who came together to provide this urgently needed funding."

The fixed-price base task order amount is $900 million to bring new enrichment capacity online, with additional options for up to $170 million to produce and deliver HALEU to the Department. Centrus has already launched domestic centrifuge manufacturing at its Oak Ridge, Tennessee factory, with first new capacity expected online in 2029.

NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE: SMR) has released study results demonstrating that pairing its advanced small modular reactor nuclear technology with a heat augmentation system can provide both profitable and reliable power for commercial chemical plants. The techno-economic assessment conducted in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory examined the performance of coupling a NuScale Power Module with a U.S. chemical facility to provide nuclear-generated steam and electric power.

"As the first and only SMR to have our designs certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), NuScale continues to lead in the development of new technologies to provide process heat and electricity," said Dr. José Reyes, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at NuScale Power. "As we saw in the results of this assessment, delivering high-temperature steam with NuScale's scalable architecture provides industrial users with unparalleled flexibility that can be integrated into their processes and offers a promising new path for them to explore. We are proud of the collaboration with our partners at ORNL and grateful for the support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative for this study."

The study demonstrated that the NuScale integrated energy system could meet chemical plant requirements of 1.3 million kg/h of process steam at 400°C and 4.1 MPa while also providing 73 MW of electric power. The hybrid system's scalable architecture offers maximum flexibility for optimizing plant energy use and profitability across various configurations.

Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE-A: UUUU) (TSX: EFR) exceeded FY-2025 guidance for finished uranium production, mined uranium ore production and uranium concentrate sales. The company's Pinyon Plain Mine in Arizona and La Sal Complex in Utah produced over 1.6 million pounds of uranium in 2025, exceeding the top end of guidance by approximately 11%, while the White Mesa Mill produced more than one million pounds of finished U₃O₈ during 2025 with over 350,000 pounds produced in December alone.

"These 2025 uranium metrics reinforce our reputation as, not only the country's lowest-cost and largest uranium producer, but as a company that delivers on its promises," said Mark S. Chalmers, CEO of Energy Fuels Inc. "Nuclear energy powered by uranium is among the cleanest, least expensive, and most reliable ways to supply our nation's growing energy and electricity needs."

The company expects to sell 360,000 pounds of U₃O₈ in Q4-2025 at a weighted average sales price of approximately $74.93 per pound, representing 50% growth over Q3-2025 sales volumes. Energy Fuels Inc. completed two new long-term uranium sales contracts with U.S. nuclear power generating companies adding deliveries for 2027 to 2032 utilizing hybrid pricing with exposure to uranium market upside.

Canada Nickel Company (TSXV: CNC) (OTCQB: CNIKF) was named as the second project to be advanced under Ontario's new One Project, One Process framework, reflecting the advanced state, scale, and strategic importance of the Crawford Nickel Project within Ontario's Critical Minerals Strategy. The 1P1P framework is designed to better coordinate Ontario's permitting and review processes for major mining developments by aligning timelines, responsibilities, and information sharing across provincial ministries.

"Ontario is moving at lightning speed to open this 100% Canadian owned mine to create 4,000 jobs for Canadian workers," said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines. "In 2026, our government is going full-tilt to unlock one of the world's largest nickel deposits that will supercharge our economy and help end China's critical mineral dominance."

Crawford is expected to be the largest nickel sulphide project in the western world and among the most economically significant mining developments in Canada, with independent analysis estimating the Project will generate more than $70 billion in GDP over its initial 40+ year mine life. Canada Nickel Company is targeting construction commencement by year-end 2026.

CONTACT:

Baystreet.ca
cs@baystreet.ca
(805) 649-0042

DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this publication should be considered as personalized financial advice. We are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular financial situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. This is a paid advertisement and is neither an offer nor recommendation to buy or sell any security. We hold no investment licenses and are thus neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. The content in this report or email is not provided to any individual with a view toward their individual circumstances. This article is being distributed by Baystreet.ca on behalf of Market IQ Media Group Inc. ("MIQ"). Baystreet.ca is a wholly-owned entity of Baystreet.ca Media Corp. ("BAY"). BAY has not been paid a fee for the distribution of this article, but the owner of BAY also co-owns MIQ. MIQ has been paid a fee for Eagle Energy Metals Corp. advertising and digital media from Creative Digital Media Group (“CDMG”). There may be 3rd parties who may have shares of Eagle Energy Metals Corp., and may liquidate their shares which could have a negative effect on the price of the stock. This compensation constitutes a conflict of interest as to our ability to remain objective in our communication regarding the profiled company. Because of this conflict, individuals are strongly encouraged to not use this publication as the basis for any investment decision. The owner/operator of MIQ/BAY does not own any shares of Eagle Energy Metals Corp. but reserve the right to buy and sell, and will buy and sell shares of Eagle Energy Metals Corp. at any time without any further notice commencing immediately and ongoing. We also expect further compensation as an ongoing digital media effort to increase visibility for the company, no further notice will be given, but let this disclaimer serve as notice that all material, including this article, which is disseminated by MIQ has been approved on behalf of Eagle Energy Metals Corp. by CDMG; this is a paid advertisement, we currently own shares of Eagle Energy Metals Corp. and will buy and sell shares of the company in the open market, or through private placements, and/or other investment vehicles. While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our newsletter is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Also, because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between the any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment.

SOURCES:

1. https://www.energy.gov/articles/us-department-energy-awards-27-billion-restore-american-uranium-enrichment
2. https://www.energy.gov/articles/promises-made-promises-kept
3. https://energiesmedia.com/global-forecast-projects-nuclear-growth-scenario/
4. https://www.mining.com/how-2026-will-reshape-the-us-critical-mineral-resilience/