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In the midst of a historic global push for clean, reliable baseload energy, the nuclear sector—and the uranium market underpinning it—has re-entered the spotlight. Few regions are as strategically important to U.S. nuclear ambitions as New Mexico, home to some of the largest and highest-quality uranium assets in the country. And few companies are positioned more centrally in this revival than Verdera Energy, a rapidly advancing uranium developer formed out of a major asset spinout from enCore Energy.

Janet Lee-Sheriff, Chief Executive Officer of Verdera Energy, shared her insights on the company’s strategy, uranium fundamentals, permitting landscape, capital plans, and community engagement. Sheriff brings decades of experience in mining, Indigenous relations, permitting, and corporate leadership—and now plans to steer Verdera to the forefront of America’s nuclear resurgence.

A Leader Steeped in Mining, Community Work, and Uranium Development

Janet Lee-Sheriff is no stranger to complex extractive industries. Her background spans nearly two decades in public markets, spanning executive leadership, communications, and extensive work with Indigenous and rural communities across North America.

Before taking the helm at Verdera Energy, Sheriff held leadership roles that included:

• CEO of Golden Predator Mining Corp.
• President of enCore Energy when it was still Tigris Uranium.
• Communications and community engagement lead for enCore for several years, with a focus on U.S. jurisdictions.
• Advisor to Grants Energy, a private uranium company in New Mexico that is advancing one of the largest ISR-amenable uranium projects in the country.
• President and Co-Founder of the Clean Energy Association of New Mexico, an industry association focused on providing education and information on in-situ recovery for uranium extraction.

Her deep experience in Aboriginal relations, social license, and ISR permitting has made her a natural fit for leading a company operating in a region where trust, history, and stakeholder engagement are paramount.

“I went into mining because I saw the economic benefits created in rural communities,” she explains. “My leadership style is collaborative. I want people to feel heard. I expect a lot from myself and from the team in bringing people along.”

A Uranium Market in a New Power Cycle

Sheriff is unequivocal in her outlook for the uranium market: we are still in the early innings of a long-term structural upcycle.

According to her:

• Political support is stronger than ever—especially in the U.S., where bipartisan policies emphasize domestic uranium production.
• Public sentiment toward nuclear energy has shifted, with more communities embracing it as a clean, affordable, and reliable energy source.
• A looming energy shortage is forcing governments to recognize the necessity of nuclear baseload power.
• Executive orders and federal initiatives continue to fast-track domestic energy and nuclear projects.

As she notes, “The U.S. cannot achieve domestic energy independence with nuclear energy without New Mexico. The state has more uranium than every other U.S. state combined.”

This sets the stage for a robust future not only for major producers, but also for well-positioned uranium developers like Verdera Energy.

The Birth of Verdera Energy

Verdera Energy emerged from enCore Energy’s strategic decision to spin out its New Mexico uranium assets—a collection of highly advanced projects with historic and current resources, substantial exploration data, and decades of geological records.

Key facts about the spinout and structure:

• enCore Energy retains ~14% ownership.
• 50 million shares went to enCore as part of the transaction.
• 35 million shares are being distributed directly to enCore shareholders.
• Verdera is in the final phase of its qualifying transaction (QT) and expects to begin public trading in February under the reserved ticker symbol V.

The financing is structured as:

• $20 million raise
• Resulting in roughly $27 million cash on hand upon listing.
• A total share count of approximately 109 million after close.

With substantial capital, a defined development pipeline, and a strong data advantage, Verdera aims to accelerate uranium development in New Mexico faster than any company has in decades.

A Portfolio of ISR-Focused, Advanced Uranium Assets

Verdera’s current project suite draws largely from assets developed historically by large oil & gas companies during the uranium boom of the 1970s and 1980s. Players such as Phillips, Conoco, and Kerr-McGee conducted extensive delineation drilling, often to very conservative cutoff grades (commonly 0.5%).

Sheriff noted that modern ISR projects use much lower cutoff grades, meaning the historic datasets likely understate the true recoverable resources. Projects are all ISR amenable, Verdera have the largest land position for minerals rights in the State – 400sq miles.

The Core Verdera Projects

1. Crownpoint–Hosta Butte

• ~28 million pounds of uranium
• Current NI 43-101 resource
• Fully ISR-amenable

This is the company’s qualifying transaction asset, and the first near-term development target.

2. West Largo

• ~0.3% U3O8, making it the highest-grade ISR project in the United States
• Significant historic drilling
• First in line for modernization of its technical report
• Drilling planned around periphery and for updated cutoff analysis

3. Ambrosia Lake

• An iconic uranium district with decades of production history
• Previously operated by Rio Algom (BHP)
• Technical report modernization planned
• Water sampling and baseline environmental work to begin shortly

Verdera also controls checkerboard land packages inherited from original railway grants, giving them dominant land positions across key uranium trends.

4. Nose Rock (Future Project)

A high-quality project with substantial historic data. Verdera intends to defer its advancement until after the first wave of project updates and baseline studies.

The Power of Proprietary Data: A Hidden Strategic Weapon

One of Verdera’s most overlooked assets is its unparalleled access to uranium exploration data.

Sheriff revealed that her husband, Bill Sheriff, founder and Executive Chairman of enCore, accumulated since 1986 the largest privately held uranium database in the U.S. Verdera now owns:

• The URI (Uranium Resources Inc.) database
• The Kerr-McGee database
• Proprietary datasets covering projects across New Mexico

This treasure trove enables Verdera to:

• Rebuild geological models quickly
• Identify overlooked mineralization
• Evaluate ISR amenability with confidence
• Pursue joint venture opportunities not limited to its own properties

The company plans to begin massive scanning and digitization of this data immediately after its financing closes.

Permitting and the New Mexico Regulatory Landscape

Sheriff’s permitting experience is extensive—she applied for the Fast-41 permitting streamlining initiative at Encore’s Dewey-Burdock project.

She notes that:

• Federal permitting has improved dramatically under bipartisan support.
• But state and Indigenous engagement is critical, especially in New Mexico.
• The state does not automatically participate in Fast-41, making proactive community and agency engagement essential.

Verdera is approaching permitting with transparency and early community involvement  and CLEAN (cleanm.org) is important as insutry group here.

Community Engagement: A Cornerstone of Verdera’s Strategy

Sheriff emphasizes that uranium development cannot succeed without trust.

To this end, Verdera—alongside enCore and Grants Energy—co-founded the Clean Energy Association of New Mexico, which educates communities about ISR mining and nuclear energy.

Recent initiatives include:

• Joint community ISR information sessions with Grants Energy
• Outreach to Pueblos and rural stakeholders
• A site visit that took regulators and citizens to Cameco’s Crow Butte ISR facility to demonstrate what modern uranium extraction looks like
• Upcoming Chamber of Commerce events and broader public engagement efforts
• Co-hosting the Nuclear New Mexico Conference in April, focusing on ISR and nuclear development across the state. Registration available here: nuclearinnewmexico.com

Sheriff summarizes:

“We want everyone to have the information they need for good decision-making. Communities must be part of the process.”

A Deep Bench: Verdera’s Board and Advisors

Verdera has assembled an unusually strong board for a newly listed issuer, especially in technical and regulatory expertise.

Key Board Members

• Janet Lee-Sheriff (CEO)
• Jon Indall – Accomplished natural resources lawyer, senior policy advisor at Uranium Producers of America
• Mark Pelizza – Lead director at Encore; ex-URI; decades of ISR operations and reclamation experience
• Kevin Bambrough – Long-time Sprott associate, shareholder of Energy Metals
• Greg Hayes – Audit chair; CFO of a Colombian gold producer

Advisors

• Bill Sheriff – Founder of Encore; major uranium data archive owner
• Greg Huffman – Formerly Canaccord Genuity
• John Hamrick – Metallurgist; former Union Carbide/Cotter, with extensive uranium production and reclamation experience

The team’s combined expertise in ISR uranium, New Mexico regulation, and mining finance gives Verdera a strong competitive edge.

Financing Allocation and Work Programs

The $20 million financing underway will allow Verdera to advance multiple projects simultaneously. Sheriff outlined the approximate allocation:

• Crownpoint–Hosta Butte: Several million dollars
• West Largo: Several million dollars
• Ambrosia Lake: Several million dollars
• Baseline environmental studies: Water sampling, hydrogeology, ISR amenability
• Technical report updates: 2 new NI 43-101 updates expected within 12 months
• Community engagement programs
• Extensive data digitization and synthesis

The treasury will stretch multiple years, giving Verdera time to advance projects without immediate capital pressure.

M&A Strategy: Focus First, Optionality Later

While Verdera holds key land and data advantages across New Mexico, the company will initially focus on advancing its core portfolio. However, Sheriff acknowledges:

• Their data covers numerous regional projects.
• This provides the basis for future joint venture opportunities.
• Some project areas, such as Ambrosia Lake, require expanding land positions and securing additional surface use agreements.

Thus, while M&A is not immediate, the long-term strategy includes leveraging their data for partnerships and selective expansion.

A Robust Upcoming News Flow

Investors can expect a steady stream of developments in the next 4–6 months, including:

• Results of data scanning and digitization
• Updated work plans for Crownpoint–Hosta Butte
• Fieldwork and baseline sampling results from Ambrosia Lake
• Drilling updates at West Largo
• Publication of updated NI 43-101 technical reports
• Community engagement and Clean Energy Association initiatives
• April’s Nuclear New Mexico Conference

Sheriff emphasizes that 2024–2025 will be transformative as the company accelerates development across its portfolio.

Conclusion: Verdera Energy’s Moment Has Arrived

Verdera Energy is emerging at the perfect intersection of:

• A structurally bullish uranium market
• Strong U.S. federal support for domestic nuclear energy
• New Mexico’s unrivaled uranium endowment
• A reservoir of historic technical data that most juniors could only dream of
• A leadership team blending ISR expertise, permitting knowledge, and community understanding

As Sheriff puts it:

“It’s very early. But the opportunity in New Mexico is enormous. We hope investors follow us closely.”

With its listing imminent, ample funding secured, and a clear technical roadmap, Verdera Energy is positioned to become a central player in America’s uranium renaissance.

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Disclaimer: This article is not a recommendation to buy or sell any shares, products, or services. Always conduct your own due diligence and consult with a financial advisor.