WASHINGTON, Sept 23 (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Edward

Markey sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Tuesday saying

he is concerned U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright is working in

the interest of nuclear power company Oklo ( OKLO ), of which he

used to be a board member.

Markey, a Democrat, noted that the administration is moving

ahead with plans to allow Oklo ( OKLO ) to build a nuclear waste

reprocessing plant and transfer government-held plutonium from

nuclear weapons to use as fuel in planned reactor projects.

"Oklo ( OKLO ) stands to benefit financially and Secretary Wright is

acting in his former company's interest," Markey said.

The White House referred a request for comment to the

energy department, which did not respond immediately. Oklo ( OKLO ) said

it had no comment.

Oklo ( OKLO ) said this month it plans to build and operate a plant

in Tennessee to reprocess nuclear waste as the first phase of a

nuclear fuel center costing up to $1.68 billion.

Reuters reported

in August

the government plans to make available 20 metric tons of

plutonium to nuclear companies. Oklo ( OKLO ) has not said it wants to

use the plutonium and the department has not announced plans on

the material.

But an energy department source said Oklo ( OKLO ) has been in touch with

the agency about using the radioactive metal and that top energy

officials were having conversations with the company about it.

Markey asked Trump questions about Wright's connection to

decision making and the Republican secretary's financial

interest in Oklo ( OKLO ).

Trump in May ordered the government to halt much of its existing

program to dispose of plutonium, and instead provide it as a

fuel for reactors.

The idea of using surplus plutonium as fuel and extracting

it from nuclear waste has concerned nuclear safety experts who

say it could increase risks of proliferation and make it hard

for the U.S. to tell other countries not to pursue similar

technologies.