The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released a request for proposals (RFP) to buy low-enriched uranium (LEU) from U.S. sources. This move aims to boost domestic uranium enrichment capacity safely and responsibly. The RFP is backed by $2.7B from President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which was approved in May.
Breaking Free from Russian Influence in Nuclear Fuel With $2.72 Billion Injection
This year on May 13, President Biden signed a historic law, The Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act to strengthen America’s energy and economic security. This law aims to reduce and eventually eliminate the country’s reliance on Russia for nuclear power.
It reestablished U.S. leadership in the nuclear sector, securing America’s energy future. With $2.72 billion in funding, it boosted new enrichment capacity in the U.S. and showed a commitment to long-term nuclear growth. This move would also promote a diverse market and ensure a reliable supply of commercial nuclear fuel.
Additionally, this law supported the country’s international goals. It banned imports of enriched uranium from Russia. Furthermore, last December, the U.S., Canada, France, Japan, and the UK pledged $4.2 billion to expand enrichment and conversion capacity.
source: EIA
US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm noted,
“DOE is helping jumpstart uranium enrichment capacity here in the United States, which is critical to strengthening our national security and growing our domestic nuclear industry,”
Ali Zaidi, National climate advisor and assistant to the president, highlighted the significance of transitioning from fossil fuel. He remarked,
“Under President Biden’s leadership, we have spurred an unprecedented expansion in clean energy production, which is creating good-paying union jobs and putting us on a path to greater energy security.”
Moving on, contracts from this initiative will last up to 10 years, with proposals due by August 26, 2024.
The Rise of Advanced Nuclear Reactors in the U.S.
These actions align with the DOE’s Pathways to Advanced Nuclear Commercial Liftoff report which wants to advance technologies for net-zero emissions by 2050. Additionally, the DOE’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) supports nuclear demonstration and risk reduction projects.
ARDP will accelerate advanced reactor demonstrations through cost-shared partnerships with U.S. industry. The Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations officially stated,
“It supports design, licensing, construction, and operation of two advanced reactor technologies, the TerraPower Natrium and the X-energy Xe-100 reactors. This funding builds on the initial $160 million from DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, awarded in 2020.”
These innovative nuclear technologies are designed to offer flexible electricity output and provide process heat for various industrial applications, including desalination and hydrogen production.
Advanced nuclear reactors can power homes and businesses sustainably. They have almost zero GHG, can efficiently use fuel, and are safe. The innovative designs can significantly increase the safety and performance of the existing reactors. Advancing these latest nuclear technologies will expand access to clean energy and open new market opportunities. It will also help preserve essential infrastructure and maintain vital supply chain capabilities.
source: EIA
- FURTHER READING: Paladin Energy Offers C$1.14 B to Canada’s Fission Uranium. What does it mean for Uranium Mining?
Biden’s $500M Investment to Transform Nuclear Energy
From a report published by DOE, we discovered that President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act allocates up to $500 million for high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU)—an important material needed to develop and deploy advanced reactors. Simply put, this contract allows uranium conversion into usable fuel forms for advanced reactors. HALEU enhances reactor performance with longer-life cores and better fuel utilization.
Nuclear power is America’s largest clean energy source and this step will enable meeting emissions targets and the US’s pledge to triple global nuclear power by 2050. DOE is expanding the HALEU supply chain for advanced reactors, including recycling spent fuel from government research reactors. Current U.S. reactors use uranium fuel enriched up to 5% with uranium-235. However, most advanced reactors need HALEU, enriched between 5% to 20%, to achieve smaller, versatile designs with high safety and efficiency.
According to DOE, U.S. domestic nuclear capacity has the potential to scale from ~100 GW in 2023 to ~300 GW by 2050—driven by the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies.
Image: New nuclear build-out scenarios and implications for industrial base capacity requirements.
source: DOE
- READ MORE: The Atomic Awakening: Fueled by Uranium
The post U.S. DOE Aims to Expand Domestic Uranium Supply with US$2.7B RFP appeared first on Carbon Credits.
Carbon Footprint
Reliance and Samsung C&T $3B Green Ammonia Deal Powers India’s Hydrogen Exports
The post Reliance and Samsung C&T $3B Green Ammonia Deal Powers India’s Hydrogen Exports appeared first on Carbon Credits.
Carbon Footprint
Who Will Drive the Next Wave of Carbon Credit Demand? Insights from AlliedOffsets
The voluntary carbon market (VCM) lets companies buy carbon credits to offset their greenhouse gas emissions. AlliedOffsets, a data and technology firm for carbon offsetting, tracks this market closely. Their database covers more than 36,000 projects, over 28,000 buyers, and billions of tons of carbon that have been issued or retired.
The VCM is growing fast. Over the last five years, most buyers have come from technology, telecommunications, and energy. Other sectors, like industrials, manufacturing, financial services, and aviation, also participate, though in smaller amounts.
The United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan have the most buyers, showing that developed countries lead the market.
As the market grows, new companies and sectors are expected to join. AlliedOffsets studied over 130,000 companies to predict who will likely buy carbon credits next. This helps sellers, project developers, and policymakers focus their efforts where demand is likely.
LtB Model: Predicting the Next Wave of Credit Buyers
AlliedOffsets uses a model called Likelihood to Buy (LtB). It looks at companies active before and since 2024, and even those that have never bought credits publicly. The company stated:
“Ranking specific companies’ likelihoods and identifying patterns in their unifying traits informs market suppliers and intermediaries about who to pivot engagement towards. Understanding the features that play the greatest roles in determining companies’ likelihoods, meanwhile, is vital for highlighting wider drivers for the growth of the market, which serve as levers for policymakers and signals for companies themselves.”
The model includes data from 36 global registries, covering both non-anonymous purchases and retirements. It looks at several key factors that affect a company’s likelihood to buy, including:
- Abatement potential – how easy it is for the company to reduce emissions.
- Data center usage – companies with large data centers use more energy and may buy more credits.
- Headquarters country – companies in the US, UK, and China lead predicted purchases.
- Internal carbon pricing – companies with higher carbon costs buy more credits.
- Net-zero targets – companies with short-term or long-term climate goals are more likely to buy.
- Sector – aviation, energy, and tech tend to buy more due to rules and public pressure.
- Annual profit or loss – profitable firms are more able to purchase carbon credits.

The model also uses SHAP analysis to show which factors influence predicted buying the most. Companies that recently bought credits are weighted higher. Some sectors, like aviation, are manually marked as high-likelihood because of rules like CORSIA, which requires airlines to offset emissions.
AlliedOffsets also separates companies into new entrants and returning buyers, helping track demand trends.
Forecasted Carbon Credit Demand
AlliedOffsets predicts that new and returning buyers will need about 281 million credits per year. This comes from over 11,500 companies with characteristics similar to current buyers.
The demand by project type is expected to have this composition:

Demand for forestry projects is rising, partly because of forward contracts, which made up 55% of the 147 million credits negotiated in 2025.

By country, the greatest demand will come from the U.S., China, UK, France, Germany, and Brazil.

Aviation will be a big factor because airlines must offset emissions under CORSIA rules. Energy and technology companies in the US, like AT&T, IBM, and Ingram Micro, are likely to enter or re-enter the market.
Moreover, new entrants will expand the buyer base, per AlliedOffsets analysis. These include consumer goods, professional services, healthcare, and industrial firms. Many come from countries with fewer buyers so far, like Turkey and Belgium.
Financial Impact of Returning and New Buyers
AlliedOffsets estimates that new and returning buyers will spend around $2.27 billion per year. Sector contributions are expected as follows, with aviation and energy leading the pack:
- Aviation: over $800 million per year (about one-third of total).
- Energy and Technology & Telecommunications: substantial ongoing purchases, over $300 million a year.
- Consumer services, industrials, financial services, professional services: smaller but steady spend.

Returning buyers bought nearly 7 million credits in previous years. ExxonMobil accounted for 66% of these purchases through both forward contracts and OTC deals. Other companies, like ArcelorMittal, invest in low-emission technology, reducing the need to buy credits.
New entrants, especially airlines, will increase activity. Credits purchased for CORSIA compliance must match emissions for international flights to and from ICAO member states.
Overall, growth in both returning and new buyers shows that corporate demand for carbon credits is likely to rise sharply. Companies that belong to initiatives like RE100, SBTi, Race to Zero, or NZBA are more likely to participate in the voluntary carbon market.
A Turning Point and Future Forecasts: Supply, Demand, and Policy Drivers
In 2025, the voluntary carbon credit market saw big changes. Total retirements fell to about 168 million tonnes, and new issuances dropped to around 270 million tonnes, the lowest since 2020.
Despite this, spending rose to roughly $1.04 billion, up from $980 million in 2024. The average price per credit also climbed to about $6.10, showing that buyers are paying more for high-quality, trusted credits rather than just buying large amounts.

Companies are now choosing credits with strong monitoring and real climate impact. Nature-based projects, like afforestation and reforestation, did better than older REDD+ credits.
Forward contracts also grew, with over $12 billion signed in 2025, even though these will deliver only about 10 million credits a year through 2035. This shows that many companies want to secure the future supply of trusted credits. These trends match forecasts from AlliedOffsets, where demand is expected to rise for durable, high-quality carbon credits.
AlliedOffsets keeps expanding its database, now covering over 60,000 companies. Adding historical emissions data and checking with initiatives like the Forest Stewardship Council and Science Based Targets will improve forecasts.
Analysts expect supply limits may appear in forestry and land use projects as demand grows. Engineered removals, chemical processes, and industrial projects will also get more attention. Large investments by companies like Google and Amazon, which pledged $100 million to superpollutant removal projects by 2030, are expected to drive this.
Returning and new buyers, led by aviation, energy, and tech, will shape the next wave of demand. Understanding these patterns helps policymakers, intermediaries, and project developers plan supply and engagement strategies.
The voluntary carbon market is entering a new growth phase, driven by rules, climate commitments, and better forecasting tools. With models like Likelihood to Buy, market participants can plan ahead. Forestry, renewable energy, and industrial projects are likely to see the biggest benefits as corporate demand grows worldwide.
- READ MORE: The Carbon Credit Market in 2025 is A Turning Point: What Comes Next for 2026 and Beyond?
The post Who Will Drive the Next Wave of Carbon Credit Demand? Insights from AlliedOffsets appeared first on Carbon Credits.
Carbon Footprint
How carbon project developers quantify biodiversity and community impact
The verified carbon market is changing. Buyers are asking harder questions. A carbon credit’s value is increasingly defined not just by the carbon it represents, but by what the project delivers alongside it and by how rigorously those outcomes are measured.
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