Mining company Uranium Resources glows with anticipation when it thinks about the fuel needs of nuclear power plants. The company extracts uranium from a couple of locations in South Texas and has big plans for its exploration and development interests in New Mexico. It produces about 400,000 pounds of uranium annually, which it sells under long-term contracts to two electric utilities that operate nuclear power plants. A prolonged slump in the price of uranium caused Uranium Resources to shut down production between 1999 and 2004, when the company resumed mining operations at its Vasquez property in South Texas.