President Trump’s four executive orders on nuclear energy, issued on May 23, 2025, are blazing a bold path to an energy future where electricity will be more reliable and more economical.

By unleashing advanced nuclear technologies, streamlining regulations, and bolstering the domestic nuclear industry, these orders aim to deliver 400 gigawatts of clean, reliable power by 2050 – a quadrupling of current capacity. This vision promises energy independence, economic prosperity, and national security. Yet, entrenched anti-prosperity bureaucrats, timid politicians, and a misinformed public, swayed by decades of anti-nuclear propaganda, stand ready to obstruct this transformative agenda. America must address these obstacles in order to reclaim its leadership in the field of nuclear energy.

Overhaul of the Nuclear Overseers

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which was formed after the dismemberment of the Atomic Energy Commission, has long served as a choke point for nuclear progress. The NRC was designed from the get-go to follow the agenda of anti-nuclear advocates, and consequently, it has licensed only two reactors since 1978, stifling innovation. Trump’s orders demand a sweeping overhaul, capping exorbitant NRC fees and mandating licensing decisions within eighteen months. This aggressive reform dismantles barriers, but bureaucrats accustomed to sluggish processes will resist, clinging to technologically outdated risk-averse frameworks.

America’s existing nuclear fleet—light water and pressurized water reactors—boasts the best safety record of any industry in America. Advanced nuclear designs, like small modular reactors, microreactors and Generation IV systems, push safety even further, with designs able to operate reliably even without human intervention. Trump’s orders prioritize the deployment of these advanced designs, targeting five gigawatts of “power uprates” (increasing the electricity output of existing reactors) and ten large new reactors by 2030. Yet, detractors will cry “impossible,” and claim that government staff reductions, as ordered for the NRC, will compromise safety. In reality, NRC had more than enough staff and time to address a legitimate petition involving safety with respect to cooling spent nuclear fuel pools, choosing to instead to deny it. Given this track record, the public interest will be better served by a leaner and more focused regulator that puts the onus of safety and liability squarely on the industry.

Turning Mislabeled “Waste” into Energy to Make Nuclear “Renewable”

Decades of misinformation have mislabeled partially used nuclear fuel as “waste.” In reality, this stockpile, mischaracterized during the Carter administration, holds trillions of dollars in potential energy if converted to electricity. Experts have long argued that this “waste” could provide America with clean, carbon-free electricity for hundreds of years.

The concept of recycling partially used nuclear fuel was recommended to the Biden Administration’s Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on multiple occasions, yet that administration took no action. Trump’s orders have established a motivated plan to process this partially used fuel for advanced reactors, which will release this vast, hidden taxpayer asset value while reducing foreign dependency. The challenge will be overcoming the government bureaucracy’s previous “build back better” mindset that only wind and solar are “renewable.”

New Nuclear Test Sites and a New Nuclear Workforce

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) nuclear testing, centered at national labs like Idaho National Laboratory, is facing scrutiny for slow resolutions. Trump’s orders demand a cultural shift by establishing test sites outside labs by July 4, 2026, and ensuring reactors are operational within two years. This urgency will spark competition in the electric power sector, breaking monopolistic inertia. Still, the national lab system’s sluggish reputation could hinder progress unless private sector efficiency drives the process.

A robust nuclear workforce is critical. The US “Nuclear Navy” offers a model for rapidly training top-tier nuclear personnel. Trump’s call for private sector-led apprenticeships and education programs mirrors this approach. By empowering industry over government, America can build a top-tier workforce swiftly, fueling reactor deployment and economic growth.

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