In a move that signals a bold return to energy independence and technological ambition, President Donald Trump has signed a series of executive orders aimed at revitalizing America’s nuclear energy industry. The goal: clear away decades of bureaucratic overgrowth and once again unleash the full potential of American innovation in the power sector.
The set of orders focuses on streamlining the permitting process, slashing regulatory delays, and promoting the development of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). These reactors, more compact and cost-efficient than traditional facilities, represent a cutting-edge solution for reliable, scalable energy — and the United States is finally taking them seriously.
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has already stepped up, submitting the first permit request to install an SMR in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It’s the first real sign of movement in years, and under Trump’s directives, it won’t be the last. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has now been ordered to complete licensing reviews within 18 months, ending the decades-long paralysis that has kept next-generation reactors stuck in regulatory limbo.
The United States currently operates 94 nuclear reactors, generating nearly 19% of the nation’s electricity. But most of those reactors are more than 40 years old. The only new reactor built since 2016 — Vogtle in Georgia — came online years late and billions over budget. The problem isn’t technology. It’s Washington red tape.
Enter Trump’s executive action. The first order targets faster testing and development of advanced reactor designs within the Department of Energy. Another paves the way for building reactors on federal land, a move that aligns nuclear power with national defense interests. A third revamps the NRC to end its years-long permitting bottlenecks, and a fourth focuses on reviving domestic uranium production, a sector once thriving, now decimated by foreign imports.
In 1980, the U.S. produced 44 million pounds of uranium domestically. Today, it’s less than 5% of what we consume — a dangerous dependency, especially given Russia’s dominance in the uranium supply chain. The urgency only grew after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, prompting Congress to pass the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act, which President Biden signed in 2023. That bipartisan move paved the way for Trump’s broader strategy.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasized that the Department of Energy is reprioritizing funds away from intermittent renewables like wind and solar, and refocusing on scalable, reliable power sources like nuclear. “The nuclear industry is quite enthusiastic,” Wright told the Senate Appropriations Committee, signaling that private investment is ready — they just needed the federal government to stop being an obstacle.
According to Pew Research, 57% of Americans now support nuclear power, and with Trump’s executive orders, the stage is set for a new chapter — one where America builds, leads, and powers the world again.
The message is clear: America is done waiting. It’s time to build, not just talk. And this time, the reactors are coming online faster than the bureaucrats can say “review period.”
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