Trump signed executive orders to launch ‘nuclear energy renaissance’ as a cornerstone of his administration’s new energy strategy on Friday, May 23, 2025. The action was part of Trump’s most recent attempt to change the country’s energy policies.

Trump increased oil and gas production in Alaska, started reversing Joe Biden’s moratorium on new natural gas export facilities, and proclaimed a national energy emergency on his first day in office. Although nuclear energy doesn’t release carbon like gas and oil, it does produce radioactive waste, which the U.S. does not presently have a permanent facility to store. Environmental organizations have expressed worries about the reactors’ supply chain and safety.

New Goals for Reactors, Regulation, and Industry

Trump signed four orders to expedite the approval of nuclear reactors for defense and artificial intelligence applications, reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to produce four times as much electricity in the next 25 years, update the regulatory process to allow three experimental reactors to operate by July 4, 2026, and increase investment in the nuclear industry’s supply chain.

Attending the Oval Office event, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum called the move a reversal of “more than 50 years of overregulation of an industry.” He continued that Trump’s dedication to energy supremacy would guarantee that the United States has enough electricity to “win the AI arms race with China.” Despite previous high-profile nuclear mishaps in the United States and overseas that sparked strong public resistance, Trump said the technology is “very safe.”

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Federal Workforce Cuts Raise Concerns Amid Nuclear Push

Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” has resulted in the temporary termination of staff members at the National Nuclear Security Administration, which is in charge of the nuclear arsenal, even though the directives represent a dramatic change in energy policy. A long-running nuclear waste cleaning project in Washington State may be disrupted as a result of this reduction. Trump signed executive orders to launch ‘nuclear energy renaissance’ even as workforce cuts raised logistical and safety concerns.

Republicans who support Trump’s energy plan have proposed legislation in Congress. This week, the House enacted a tax-and-spending plan that modifies the eligibility requirements for the Biden-created renewable energy tax credits. Projects must start construction within 60 days of the bill’s passage and be finished by 2028 to be eligible. Nuclear plants, on the other hand, have fewer restrictions and merely need to begin construction by 2028.

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