Trump Signs Executive Orders to Boost Nuclear Power

On Friday, President Trump signed four executive orders aimed at reducing regulatory barriers and establishing a clearer path for building nuclear reactors in the U.S.

One of the key changes involves a significant revision of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the agency responsible for overseeing the nation’s nuclear reactors. With this new directive, the NRC is required to issue reactor licenses within an 18-month timeframe, a process that could previously stretch on for years.

Additionally, the orders authorize both the energy and defense departments to construct extra reactors on federal land, specifically for defense purposes and artificial intelligence initiatives.

As one anonymous official noted, “This will allow safe and reliable nuclear energy to operate critical defense facilities and AI data centers.”

Michael Kratzos, White House Director of Science and Technology Policy, described the executive orders as “historic actions that ensure control of America’s energy and provide affordable, reliable, and secure energy for Americans.”

Continuing on, Kratzos emphasized that these steps signal a renewal in the American nuclear industry, stating, “President Trump is telling the world that America will be built up again and the American nuclear renaissance will begin.”

It’s worth mentioning that nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta, Georgia, faced significant delays, taking seven additional years to complete and costing $18 billion more than initially estimated due to various regulatory challenges.

The tech sector, particularly AI data centers which demand substantial energy resources, stands to gain the most from these initiatives.

Historically, previous U.S. government policies regarding nuclear energy have been shaped by environmental concerns—most notably the 1979 Three Mile Island accident near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. With these new orders, Trump’s administration appears to be shifting that narrative.

Another noteworthy aspect of the executive orders involves domestic mining and enrichment of uranium, which aims to detach the U.S. from foreign uranium sources and bolster domestic nuclear energy production.

The Trump administration argues that nuclear energy is essential “to ensure global industrial, digital, and economic control, achieve energy independence, and enhance next-generation technologies that protect national security.”