Five US states could dispose of spent nuclear fuel in exchange for federal government help in spurring development in the country’s domestic nuclear energy sector.

Agreements with Tennessee, Utah, Louisiana, Idaho and Oklahoma represent significant progress in a decades-long effort to find a home for almost 100,000 tonnes of spent nuclear power-plant fuel.

Under the terms of the non-binding agreements, the states will host Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses that would include spent fuel disposal sites as well as uranium enrichment, spent-fuel reprocessing and fuel fabrication.