Clean tech startup Fluxnium found a way to tap 50,000 years’ worth of nuclear fuel

The U.S. has ambitious plans to triple the capacity of its nuclear power plants by 2050, but that goal might hit a roadblock if plant operators can’t buy fuel at reasonable prices.

Prices for yellowcake, a form of unrefined uranium, are up 75% in the last five years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Further complicating matters, the U.S. doesn’t have significant resources within its borders — unless you consider the ocean.