Saturday marks one year since President Donald Trump signed four executive orders aimed at bolstering the nuclear energy industry and since he outlined his ambition to quadruple domestic nuclear energy capacity by 2050. Nuclear energy has become an attractive option for the administration to power its efforts to beat China in the AI race. The carbon-free resource is considered one of the most reliable sources of energy today, with a capacity factor of 92.3%. This means a nuclear power plant, on average, can generate its maximum capacity 92.3% of the time.
Trump sought to clear the way for developing new nuclear energy last spring, calling for overhauling and streamlining regulatory processes for new nuclear projects, accelerating testing of advanced projects such as small modular reactors, and boosting domestic mining and enrichment of uranium.
These executive orders have been celebrated and welcomed across the industry, with many analysts and developers pointing to the actions as the catalyst for increased development.
While nuclear energy is emerging from decades of political stagnation with bipartisan support, concerns about cost, timeline, and regulatory delays still cloud its long-term future.
