The Peter Zeihan Podcast Series Would You Like Some Plutonium with That? || Peter Zeihan
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Oct 14, 2025 The U.S. faces significant electricity shortages and needs to ramp up its energy generation capabilities. A fascinating solution discussed is mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel, which replaces traditional uranium with a uranium-plutonium blend. The podcast explores the economic viability of MOX and its predominant use by Russia. Concerns about sourcing plutonium and potential proliferation risks also arise, especially with the U.S. plan to convert decommissioned warheads to MOX. Can this pilot program succeed by 2026 despite the challenges?
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Urgent Need To Add Gigawatts
- The U.S. faces massive electricity shortages and may need to expand generation by about 50% for reshoring and deglobalization.
- Peter Zeihan argues grid expansion is essential to double industrial capacity for domestic manufacturing.
Policy Is Raising Grid Costs
- Tariffs and policy choices have stalled and raised the cost of grid expansion, especially for copper and aluminum.
- Zeihan says government actions transformed a potential partner into a burden for building power infrastructure.
What Mixed‑Oxide Fuel Is
- Mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel uses plutonium mixed with uranium instead of low-enriched uranium.
- Russia uses MOX by repurposing decommissioned warheads, but widespread civilian use requires new plutonium supply chains and big investments.